Mikel Arteta was delighted with his side's performance on Sunday Afternoon after Arsenal ran riot over the Premier League's bottom club Nottingham Forest, scoring five goals past on loan from Manchester United keeper Dean Henderson.
The deadlock was broken early on through Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli who headed home from a Bukayo Saka cross. Thomas Partey and Martin Ødegaard also found the back of the net during the game however the headlines belonged to Arsenal's number 24 Reiss Nelson who came on during the first period, replacing his injured teammate Bukayo Saka who was taken off after several rough challenges took their toll on him.
Reiss Nelson's impact
Nelson's appearance was his first Premier League minutes of the season, coming on after just 27 minutes and slotting in on the right-hand side of the Arsenal attack. Nelson had enjoyed three cameos in the Europa League so far this season but had struggled to make much of an impact. Sunday afternoon however was an inspired performance from the 22-year-old.
Arsenal's number 24 possesses an abundance of flair and attacking threat when on the field, his silky style on the ball and quick feet catch the eye however he differs from his teammate Bukayo Saka and offers a refreshing alternative skillset.
Different playing styles
Whilst Saka often turns to face his opponent, looking to take them on, beat them and make runs in behind the defence, Nelson takes better care of possession, taking fewer risks but still providing attacking threat. In this game, we got to see both forwards showcase their talent and it was fascinating to see them at work and show off their game.
Whilst one may describe Saka as more direct, Nelson still showed just how dangerous he can be in the final third on the ball when he chopped inside for his first goal, sending two Forest defenders flying and eventually firing the ball into the back of the net. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta can be assured that if he needs to rest Saka midweek ahead of their game against Chelsea at the Weekend then he can count on Nelson to step in and make a difference on the right-hand side.
After the game Arsenal's boss also heaped praise on Nelson, claiming that his change in attitude since returning from his loan at Feyenoord was the reason he had earned his chance.
"He's so focused on his profession," He shared.
"The way he talks, the way he respects decisions but the way he's challenging everybody to every single day. We all want him to be successful."
Ben White consistency
With the England national team's injury crisis currently at right-back and right centre-back, Arsenal's Ben White will be hoping that he can make the squad for the upcoming World Cup after having a fantastic start to the season and on Sunday, yet another solid showing.
Despite playing at centre-back for the whole of last season, White has slotted into the right-hand side of Arsenal's back four since the beginning of the campaign when the gunners won 2-0 against Crystal Palace and looked more than assured.
Arsenal's number four has gone from strength to strength since that opening game, and Sunday's victory over Nottingham Forest showcased another fantastic performance.
Jesus working hard for the team
Gabriel Jesus has been coming under a fair amount of criticism in recent weeks, with the win over Nottingham Forest marking his seventh game in all competitions without a goal.
Whilst in front of goal he appears to be fairly low in confidence, the 25-year-old gave absolutely everything for his side at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Jesus was pressing from the front, chasing down every loose ball and despite not scoring still managed to get an couple of assists for his side, slotting a cross to the feet of Reiss Nelson for his second goal and teeing up Martin Ødgaard for the fifth.
He may not be getting on the scoresheet at the moment but his relentless attitude and commitment off the ball ensures that he won't be satisfied with his current performances and will want to be back scoring for his side as soon as possible.
Steve Cooper pulling no punches
After the game, the Forest boss Steve Cooper didn't hold back when asked about his team's performance.
When questioned on the nature of the defeat, the Forest boss said his side have to learn from their mistakes and ensure they don't happen again.
"We don't just have to take it on the chin, we have to deal with it." He said.
"We fell way short today. It was always going to be a tough game but the bare minimum we have to is be hard to beat and we didn't do that well enough."
Forest lack of attacking threat
The visitors didn't really test the Arsenal defence in this tie, Their main chance came from an Arsenal mistake when Gabriel Magalhães passed a loose ball right to the feet of Jesse Lingard inside the Arsenal box. Thankfully for the home side, the resulting shot was well blocked by a diving Benjamin White.
Their only main threat came from a handful of set pieces which were well dealt with by the Arsenal defenders. They looked out of ideas at times, blasting the ball over the top for the likes of Jesse Lingard and Taiwo Awoniyi which were well dealt with by Arsenal, with William Saliba using his pace to knock the ball back to the Gunners' keeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Tougher tests to come for Arsenal
Whilst Nottingham Forest didn't truly test Arsenal defensively, tougher tests lie on the horizon when the Gunners travel across London to Stamford Bridge on Sunday for a big clash against Chelsea.
Arsenal have shown that they can beat the "big sides" at home already this campaign, turning over Liverpool and Tottenham at Emirates Stadium however, their only defeat of the season was Manchester United away and historically they've struggled to pick up points away at the "Big Six" compared to when they welcome them to North London.