Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest score, result as Gunners win 2023/24 Premier League opener on Saka, Nketiah goals

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Simon Borg
• 20 min read

Arsenal kicked off their 2023/24 Premier League season with a 2-1 home victory over Nottingham Forest, a scoreline that appears closer than it actually was for large stretches of the match.

Eddie Nketiah (26th min.) and Bukayo Saka (32nd min.) scored first-half goals and Arsenal appeared to be cruising, mostly unbothered by a toothless Nottingham Forest attack.

But Forest second-half substitutes Taiwo Awoniyi and Anthony Elanga combined to get a late goal for the visitors inside the final 10 minutes to make for a nervy ending for the Gunners, who are expected to contend for the league title again this season. But Forest could not muster another meaningful threat by the end of the eight minutes of stoppage time.

After a 30-minute delay to the start of the game due to issues with a new ticket entry system at the Emirates Stadium, the match finally kicked off and followed a predictable script.

But the contest could have taken an unexpected turn had Forest's Brennan Johnson put away a 1-on-1 opportunity against Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale which preceded Arsenal's two strikes. 

With the win, the Gunners keep pace with three-time defending champions Manchester City, who won their opener the day before at Burnley. Arsenal next travel to play Crystal Palace (Monday, Aug. 21), while Nottingham Forest are at home to Sheffield United on Friday (Aug. 18).

MORE: Arsenal's new signings for the 2023/24 season

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest final score

  Final Goal scorers
Arsenal 2 - Eddie Nketiah (Gabriel Martinelli) 26'
- Bukayo Saka 32'
Nott'm Forest 1 - Taiwo Awoniyi (Anthony Elanga) 82'

Lineups:

Arsenal (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Ramsdale (GK) — 5. Partey, 4. White, 2. Saliba, 12. TImber (18. Tomiyasu 51') — 8. Odegaard, 41. Rice, 29. Havertz — 7. Saka, 14. Nketiah (19. Trossard 73'), 11. Martinelli (6. Gabriel 86')

Nott'm Forest (5-3-2, right to left): 1. Turner (GK) — 24. Aurier, 30. Boly, 4. Worrall (11. Wood 90'), 26. McKenna,  43. Aina (7. N. Williams 72')— 22. Yates, 28. Danilo (9. Awoniyi 72'), 5. Mangala (8. Kouyate 90') — 10. Gibbs-White, 20. B. Johnson (21. Elanga 80').

MORE: Odds for Arsenal to win the Premier League in 2023/24

Arsenal get a scare in opening game

Arsenal nearly did what Manchester City had a day before and comfortably see out inferior opposition from wire to wire. But while City kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 win, the Gunners let Forest back into the game.

When Anthony Elanga connected with Taiwo Awoniyi, who didn't start after recently returning to training due to an ankle issue, you could sense the growing anxiety at The Emirates. It was a similar scenario to ones that cost Arsenal key points last season.

In truth, Arsenal never hit third gear in this match and were fortunate that magical plays from Gabriel Martinelli (on the assist to Nketiah) and Bukayo Saka gave them a comfortable lead. But they needed another goal to put Forest away, and never turned up the pressure to bury their opponent. 

For stretches the game had vibes of a lazy preseason match with little urgency, pace and rhythm. And Arsenal didn't create nearly enough danger for the dominance they showed. That's not going to be good enough over the course of a 38-match season for a title contender.

Arsenal lineup decisions vs Nottingham Forest

Knowing that Arsenal would see the bulk of possession against Nottingham Forest, manager Mikel Arteta opted to sit centre-back Gabriel for the first time in a while, and have Thomas Partey in a hybrid right-back / central midfield role. Regular right-back Ben White played in central defense.

The set-up did not offer the extra dynamism and ideas that Arteta perhaps was going for. And Ben White's attacking presence down the right was also missing — White is usually good for more than one box incursion and a handful of crosses.

Arteta has enough pieces to be rotating a lot more this season, but you get the feeling that in the absence of Gabriel Jesus, who provides a pace to the game with his infectious energy and movement, Leandro Trossard's presence gives Arsenal an edge that they were clearly missing on this day. Kai Havertz cost more money, but Trossard projects to be a more impactful player.

Brennan Johnson chance looms large

One of the opportunities that gave Forst the final expected goals edge came early and had it been converted, it could've changed the narrative in a big way.

For a club like Nottingham Forest to go into the Emirates and expect to get anything out of the game, it's critical to finish chances like the one that fell to Brennan Johnson in the 11th minute.

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale did well to come off his line and close the angle, but the Wales forward did not exhibit great composure or decision-making skills in a big moment.

It's worth noting that the Nottingham-born Welsh forward has been linked with a move to Spurs with the money earned from the Harry Kane transfer to Bayern Munich. He's going to have to show a lot better than that to earn that kind of move.

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest live updates, highlights, and commentary

Final: Arsenal 2-1 Nottingham Forest

90th min.: Seven minutes of stoppage time! And Forest bring on the large frames of Chris Wood and Cheikhou Kouyate to push for a potential equaliser. Arsenal introduced Gabriel minutes before to help with any balls lumped into the box.

82nd min.: Goal Forest! It's Taiwo Awoniyi who scores it! A great run by Anthony Elanga down the left after an Arsenal corner and his cross hits Awoniyi in stride, and he one-touches it into the net. The subs combine for a goal that will make for a frantic ending.

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80th min.: SUB Forest. Ex-Man United winger Anthony Elanga comes on for Brennan Johnson, who had Forest's one big chance in the first half.

78th min.: Chance Forest! Willy Boly gets something on a corner into the Arsenal box but he was challenged and the ball bounces into Aaron Ramsdale's hands.

76th min.: Chance Arsenal! Declan Rice takes a first-time shot and Matt Turner stretches low to tip it out for a corner kick. But nothing comes of it.

73rd min.: SUBS. Arsenal bring on Leandro Trossard for Eddie Nketiah with Kai Havertz moving to central striker, while Forest bring their best forward, Taiwo Awoniyi, off the bench.

70th min.: Chance Forest! Ola Aina opts for the shot instead of the cross and just misses the left post. The shot was deflected and leads to a corner, but nothing comes of the set piece.

65th min.: Not much to say about this game. Arsenal dictating possession, and when Nottingham Forest win it back, they lump it forward but can't keep it and give it right back. Rinse. Repeat.

56th min.: Nottingham Forest finally get something going in attack, and after a long throw-in, Ryan Yates gets a shot off which Aaron Ramsdale saves, but the Forest midfielder was offside as the ball was sent back in toward the net.

49th min.: Injury stoppage. It's Jurrien Timber who goes down on his own after backpedaling -- he's motioning toward the back of the knee or his calf.

He gets a standing ovation from the home crowd and he'll be replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu.

46th min.: Second half is underway.

Halftime: Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest

Halftime: Nottingham Forest missed their big chance through Brennan Johnson, allowing Arsenal's superior quality to eventually come through on magical plays from their two wingers, who broke Forest's defensive resistance.

Nottingham Forest have been outmatched and the passing numbers only tell part of the story:

45th min.: YELLOW card to Jurrien Timber. He makes the reckless tackle, but gets the worst of it and needs treatment. He's limping off the pitch. Looked like a hit on the shin. But he's back in the game.

45th min.: Three minutes of stoppage time. Meanwhile, a great spot by one user on social media:

44th min.: Chance Arsenal. Declan Rice has a go from outside the box, but Matt Turner goes down low to stop it.

43rd min.: Arsenal have been in total control, knocking it around and just managing the game.

32nd min.: Goal Arsenal! What a hit from Bukayo Saka! He converged toward the center of the field and sent a left-footed curler into the far left corner. What a goal.

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26th min.: Goal Arsenal! Eddie Nketiah! It was the move by Gabriel Martinelli on the left side that created the chance. Martinelli's heeled the ball into Nketiah and the forward did the rest, dancing around a defender and firing a shot that was slightly deflected past Matt Turner.

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21st min.: Arsenal are probing and prodding, but they can't cause any problems for their former goalkeeper Matt Turner.

11th min.: Chance Forest! A ball gets through to Brennan Johnson who beat the offside trap and he was 1-on-1 against goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, but his lofted ball missed the target wide. He had a chance to try to run past Ramsdale, but opted for the wayward shot.

Brennan Johnson is being talked about as a possible replacement target for Tottenham now that Harry Kane has moved to Bayern. An attempt like that is not exactly going to boost his price tag.

10th min.: It's going to be a long day for Forest left wing-back Ola Aina, who has already done plenty of chasing Arsenal's Bukayo Saka to start the match.

7th min.: So far Arsenal are trying to attack down the right flank, looking for Bukayo Saka. But it's a slow start to the game, a couple of corner kicks, several throw-ins. No real rhythm to this game just yet.

2nd min.: And Arsenal's Thomas Partey is in fact starting at right-back, but he's eager to move into midfield. And after three minutes he's in front of the backline in his usual holding spot. He's going to be shifting spots throughout the match. We'll see if Forest can take advantage.

1st min.: The players take a knee and Nottingham Forest kick off the match. The visitors are in white and blue kits, while Arsenal are in their traditional home shirts. Michael Oliver is the referee.

Kickoff

5 minutes until kickoff: The two teams are in the tunnel and ready to come out to the field.

Delayed kickoff: Jan Aage Fjortoft is reporting that The Emirates is still not even half full. Meanwhile, the teams have come out to warm up again.

But TNT Sports reporter Jules Breach is confirming the 1 p.m. local kickoff.

Delayed kickoff: NBC's Tim Howard is reporting that goalkeeper David Raya is being brought in to Arsenal to replace Aaron Ramsdale:

"I have it on good authority that he is [coming in to replace Ramsdale]," Howard said on NBC's Peacock pregame show. "It surprises me, because when I look at Ramsdale, I like him. I don't think he put a foot wrong -- maybe a mistake or two -- but I thought he was very, very good.

"Clearly, the direction that Arsenal want to go is a more footballing type of goalkeeper. I'm surprised because I thought that Ramsdale had an exceptional season, so the fact that they want to replace him after spending 40 million on him two years ago -- big surprise. But it's going to be competition for places."

When pressed on whether Raya was that much better with his feet than Ramsdale, Howard indicated that it's all in the eyes of the beholder.

"I think Aaron Ramsdale did the business and did exactly what [Arsenal manager] Mikel Arteta wanted him to, but maybe not to the level and they want to push on. And it may be an opportunity to strengthen the squad."

Kickoff delay: Confirmed that kickoff has been delayed by 30 minutes because of the long lines of fans outside The Emirates due to the new entry system.

Again, it's a new phone-based system that's replacing membership cards. It looks like a disaster outside with a crush of fans outside the gates.

10 minutes prior to kickoff: American goalkeeper Matt Turner spent a season with Arsenal, but this season-opening game against Arsenal will mark his Premier League debut.

15 minutes prior to kickoff: Lines outside the Emirates. Apparently it's the first game in which the club has transitioned to a phone app instead of scanning the membership card.

20 minutes prior to kickoff: Here's what Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports about his lineup selections, evading a direct question on Gabriel's fitness:

"With every game demands different things, and Eddie [Nketiah], as well, didn't play last game and he gets to play today.

"He's been really good and he's always been a threat. And every game needs different qualities. This is how we start the game and we'll finish in a very different way."

When Arteta was asked directly about whether he'd confirm his team will be playing in a back three? "No."

30 minutes prior to kickoff: Warmups underway at The Emirates.

45 minutes prior to kickoff: Apparently Gabriel's absence from the lineup is tactical. Meanwhile, Tom Canton (Football London) also reports that transfer target David Raya is at the Emirates ahead of his impending move from Brentford which forced Matt Turner out the door.

As for the other Arsenal players not in the squad:

1 hour prior to kickoff: The Arsenal lineup is out.

1 hour, 20 minutes prior to kickoff: We've got some early lineup reports that it'll be Eddie Nketiah at centre-forward. If that's the case, then Kai Havertz would line up in a central midfield position, perhaps relegating Thomas Partey to the bench.

1 hour, 30 minutes prior to kickoff: The match is a big deal in the UK also because it's the first Premier League match on TNT.

2 hours prior to kickoff: Arsenal supporters will prefer to remember the 5-0 home fixture against Forest from last season as opposed to the shock 1-0 defeat at the City Ground in May courtesy of a Taiwo Awoniyi goal.

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest lineups, team news

The three new starters acquired in the offseason are all starting: Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice, and Kai Havertz. But Gabriel starts on the bench, which means it's either a 3-4-3, or Thomas Partey lines up at right-back. Everyone was available for this game except for the injured Gabriel Jesus (knee) and Mohamed Elneny (knee).

Arsenal lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Aaron Ramsdale (GK) — 5. Thomas Partey, 4. Ben White, 2. William Saliba, 12. Jurrien TImber — 8. Martin Odegaard, 41. Declan Rice, 29. Kai Havertz — 7. Bukayo Saka, 14. Eddie Nketiah, 11. Gabriel Martinelli

Arsenal subs (9): 31. Karl Hein (GK), 18. Takehiro Tomiyasu, 15. Jakub Kiwior, 6. Gabriel, 20. Jorginho, 21. Fabio Vieira, 10. Emile Smith Rowe, 24. Reiss Nelson, 19. Leandro Trossard

American goalkeeper Matt Turner facing his former club after a $9 million transfer is the big story, with the other being that star centre-forward Taiwo Awoniyi, who just recently returned to injury, is available on the bench. Summer signing Anthony Elanga will be an option off the bench.

Nott'm Forest lineup (5-3-2 right to left): 1. Matt Turner (GK) — 24. Serge Aurier, 30. Willy Boly, 4. Joe Worrall, 26. Scott McKenna, 43. Ola Aina — 22. Ryan Yates, 28. Danilo, 5. Orel Mangala — 10. Morgan Gibbs-White, 20. Brennan Johnson.

Nott'm Forest subs (9): 34. Ethan Horvath (GK), 19. Moussa Niakhate, 7. Neco Williams, 8. Cheikhou Kouyate, 32. Lewis O'Brien, 23. Remo Freuler, 11. Chris Wood, 9. Taiwo Awoniyi, 21. Anthony Elanga

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest live stream, TV channel

The Premier League match between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest kicks off at 12:30 p.m. local time from The Emirates in London.

Below are the corresponding times, TV channels, and live streams to watch the match in regions around the world

IN CANADA: Watch this match in 4k on Fubo Canada (on 4k devices)

  Date Kickoff time TV Streaming
USA  Sat, Aug. 12  7:30 a.m. ET — Peacock
Canada  Sat, Aug. 12 7:30 a.m. ET — Fubo Canada
UK Sat, Aug. 12  12:30 p.m. BST TNT Sports 1 discovery+, TNT Sports Ultimate
Australia  Sat, Aug. 12 9:30 p.m. AEST — Optus Sport
India Sat, Aug. 12  5 p.m. IST Star Sports Select 1 Hotstar,
JioTV
Hong Kong  Sat, Aug. 12 7:30 p.m. HKT Now Premier League
(Ch. 620-621)		 Now E, Now Player
Malaysia  Sat, Aug. 12 7:30 p.m. MYT Astro SuperSport 3 Astro GO, sooka
Singapore Sat, Aug. 12  7:30 p.m. SGT Hub Premier (Ch. 221) StarHub TV+
New Zealand  Sat, Aug. 12 11:30 p.m.  NZST Sky Sport Premier League Sky Sport NOW

UK: The match will be televised by TNT Sports and streamed on the broadcaster's discovery+ app and TNT Sports Ultimate.

USA: The Arsenal vs. Nott'm Forest match is being streamed exclusively on NBC platform Peacock for subscribers.

Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live streamed exclusively via Fubo in Canada.

Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport.

India: Star Sports network has the rights to show Premier League matches in India. As well as an English broadcast on Star Sports Select, select matches will be available via regional feeds on Star Sports 3 (in Bengali, English, Kannada, Malayalam), Star Sports 1 (Bangla) and Star Sports 1 (Tamil).

Author(s)
Author Photo
Simon Borg
Simon Borg is a senior editor for football/soccer at The Sporting News.
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