Reiss Nelson scored a brace to help Arsenal produce one of the comprehensive football results of the weekend in the Premier League. When Nelson replaced Saka in the first half, he hadn’t played in the Premier League since August of last year, and he hadn’t scored in the league since July 2020. However, he quickly took advantage of his opportunity, scoring twice within three minutes of each other.
Prior to that, Gabriel Martinelli gave the hosts the lead in the fifth minute by heading in Saka’s cross; however, only three weeks before the World Cup began, the England international was substituted with what appeared to be a foot injury after a clumsy challenge from Renan Lodi. Saka’s injury initially slowed down Arsenal’s progress, but Mikel Arteta allayed concerns that Saka may miss the World Cup by characterizing the incident as a “poor kick” and asserting that he “didn’t see anything further than that.” After the break, the Gunners dominated the field and scored three goals in a devastating eight-minute span. Nelson switched to the provider as Thomas Partey’s pass was exquisitely curled into the top corner by the Ghanaian international.
As Nottingham Forest, who defeated Liverpool 1-0 the previous weekend, left a jubilant Emirates Stadium firmly rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, their situation standing in stark contrast to what is happening at Arsenal, Martin Odegaard added Arsenal’s fifth goal, dispatching a powerful finish from Gabriel Jesus’ lay-off. Jesus had two excellent chances, but he somehow missed converting a one-on-one attempt that Henderson stopped and a Ben White flick from two yards out after a late Fabio Vieira corner. However, Nelson’s impact ensured Saka’s injury did not dampen the mood as much as it might have otherwise, and he also made sure Arsenal regained their form following last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Southampton and Europa League loss to PSV Eindhoven in midweek.
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