LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 12: Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates an Arsenal goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Nottingham Forest at Emirates Stadium on August 12, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
5 standout Arsenal players from opening day victory over Forest
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2. Gabriel Martinelli
The winger on the other side of the pitch was also phenomenal. He was called ineffective in the Community Shield and some fans were clamouring for Leandro Trossard on the team sheet, but Martinelli showed why Arteta has such faith in him.
His work for Nketiah’s opener is already an assist of the season contender. A team can have the best tactics in the world and the most organised defence but when a player can do a piece of skill like that, eliminating two players in an instant, no amount of tactics can salvage the situation.
On top of his attacking contribution, the Brazilian put in an incredible defensive performance surprisingly. Twice, he snuffed out a Forest attack just as it was starting.
I was also really impressed with a moment in the first half: a through ball was almost too long and Martinelli had to sprint as fast as he could to keep the ball on the line. He was immediately sprinting to press again, not taking a moment to breathe.
Martinelli’s tenacity and persistence cannot be understated and it is one of his biggest qualities. He never hides on the pitch and the game against Forest was an extremely impressive performance.
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@HaytersTV] <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/14/5-standout-arsenal-players-victory-nottingham-forest/2/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/afc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#afc</a> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/14/5-standout-arsenal-players-victory-nottingham-forest/2/"https://t.co/kr0AKvUzBo">pic.twitter.com/kr0AKvUzBo
<p>— afcstuff (@afcstuff) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/14/5-standout-arsenal-players-victory-nottingham-forest/2/"https://twitter.com/afcstuff/status/1690421030374797312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>August 12, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Eddie took his chance ruthlessly for the first goal, albeit with a slight deflection. It was the killer instinct that I really wanted him to show. Nketiah tends to play his best when he is battling for his place in the team and that was the case against Forest.</p>
<p>His pressing is always exemplary and his runs in the channels caused real problems for Forest’s defence. Combined with Havertzs’ off-the-ball movement, Arsenal players were popping up anywhere and everywhere, and it was impossible to deal with, especially in the first half.</p>
<p>According to Arteta, he performed incredibly well in training this week and warranted his place in the team. Eddie has continuously improved for the past two years and if he keeps going on this trajectory, he could easily be a 20+ goals-a-season striker very soon.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/14/5-standout-arsenal-players-victory-nottingham-forest/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #5 standout performer </a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Declan Rice Premier League debut for Arsenal vs Nottingham forest <br />💫 <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/14/5-standout-arsenal-players-victory-nottingham-forest/2/"https://t.co/Or8oVmyJed">pic.twitter.com/Or8oVmyJed
<p>— Gunners (@Gunners4forever) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/14/5-standout-arsenal-players-victory-nottingham-forest/2/"https://twitter.com/Gunners4forever/status/1690408896303857664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>August 12, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
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<h2>5. Declan Rice</h2>
<p>It was Declan Rice’s best performance in an Arsenal shirt so far, especially in the first half. He tested Turner a couple of times and probably should have scored, but he will be rippling the net later on in the season.</p>
<p>Always offering himself for a pass, he moved the ball very quickly and kept the Arsenal team flowing. He also put in a couple of beautiful tackles that should greatly encourage Arsenal fans. Considering how the Gunners camp in the opposition’s half, transitions and counter-attacks are often how they concede goals. Rice is an expert at sniffing these situations out thanks to his speed, athleticism and long legs.</p>
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<p>Although the scoreline was not the most dominant, there were a lot of things to like about Arsenal’s season opener. The three points are all that matter.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
