Arsenal turn control into goals as Zubimendi and Gyokeres punish Forest
Arsenal didn’t just win; they controlled the rhythm and then made it count. A 3-0 home victory over Nottingham Forest in North London on September 13, 2025, felt like a team leaning into its new identity: crisp on the ball, aggressive between the lines, and ruthless once the door cracked open. Martín Zubimendi scored twice, either side of halftime, and Viktor Gyokeres struck 46 seconds into the second half to turn authority into a clean, cold result.
The scoreline matched the mood. Arsenal have nine points from four league games (3-0-1), a start that looks steady rather than flashy but carries the scent of a plan coming together. Forest, at 1-1-2 with four points, are still feeling out life under Ange Postecoglou. The tempo was there in flashes; the compactness and decision-making weren’t. Against an Arsenal side that pressed with purpose and passed with patience, those gaps were fatal.
Mikel Arteta’s selection told you what he wanted. David Raya in goal to start play early. A back line of Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Magalhães, Yerson Mosquera, and Jurriën Timber to mix bite with ball progression. In midfield, Mikel Merino and Zubimendi formed the base; Martin Ødegaard floated in pockets just ahead. The front three of Eberechi Eze, Gyokeres, and Noni Madueke stretched the pitch horizontally, then punched vertically when lanes opened.
Forest tried to hold a mid-block and break when they could, but once Arsenal tilted the field, the visitors spent long spells retreating. The first goal had been coming. When it arrived, it came with a thud — Zubimendi, 32 minutes in, angling a clean strike that flashed beyond the keeper. You could feel the air shift. Arsenal stopped rushing the last pass and started picking their spots.
- 32' — Zubimendi opens the scoring with a driven finish from the edge, reward for Arsenal’s sustained pressure.
- 46' — Gyokeres pounces right after the restart, turning a near-post ball into a smart tap-in that killed Forest’s shape and any sense of a reset.
- 79' — Zubimendi seals it with a near-post header, timing his run through traffic and capping a standout midfield display.
That second goal is the one coaches obsess over. Forest had made it to the interval with a chance to regroup. Then Gyokeres arrived first to the key moment of the match. From there, Arsenal dictated without forcing, picking when to press and when to recycle. Ray Parlour and Alan Shearer, on post-match duty, praised that edge — not just the finishes, but the timing that turns control into scoreboard pressure.
Look beyond the goals and the spine jumps out. Raya’s distribution cut out two passes and found one. Gabriel handled the aerial stuff and let Mosquera step in front of runners. Timber and Calafiori offered width on demand, then tucked inside when Ødegaard wanted a lane to spin. Merino’s presence let Zubimendi roam into advanced spots without leaving the back door open. It sounds simple. It almost never is.
Up top, Gyokeres did the dirty work that doesn’t always show: battled center-backs, pinned the line, and kept resetting attacks with tidy layoffs. Eze came inside to overload midfield, while Madueke stayed wide to force Forest’s full-back into a choice — engage and risk the channel, or drop and concede turf. Ødegaard knitted it together with angles rather than touches, turning on the half when he could, playing around corners when he couldn’t.
Forest will talk about moments. They had flickers — a break that needed one more pass, a recycled corner that didn’t fall. But the bigger picture is structural. Postecoglou wants speed through the thirds and bravery on the ball. If the distances aren’t right, you get exposed in transition and spend too long chasing the next action. At this level, that’s how 1-0 becomes 2-0 before you can adjust.
Arsenal’s bench also mattered, even if the headline acts decided it early. Fresh legs kept the press honest and shut down late chaos. The team’s new faces look like pieces, not just names. When your recruitment links, roles get simpler. Zubimendi’s brace was the proof-of-concept — a holding midfielder with freedom because the structure behind him is sturdy.
Four games aren’t a season, but they can set tone. Nine points buys clarity and calm. The hosts played like a group that believes there are multiple routes to a result: they can suffocate you, or they can outlast you. In late summer, with combinations still forming, that balance is gold.
For Forest, there’s no need to dramatize. The table is compact, and the ideas are clear. But it will take sessions on the training ground to clean up the spacing around the ball and the decisions under pressure. When you face a side comfortable in both possession and counter-press, indecision becomes territory — and territory becomes chances against you.
Arsenal’s task now is to bottle the best of this performance: the patient first half, the punch right after the restart, the grown-up game management at 2-0. If they keep that blend, tight games tilt their way. If they don’t, they invite chaos. On this evidence, they seem keen to control the terms.
As for the match itself, it carries a tidy label: Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest, and the home side were exactly what the score suggests — efficient, composed, and more than a little ruthless when it mattered.
What it means for both clubs
Arsenal’s 3-0-1 start doesn’t crown anything, but it hints at a floor that’s rising. With a deeper squad and clearer roles, they can rotate without losing their shape. Zubimendi’s instincts to arrive, not just sit, make midfield less predictable. Gyokeres provides a reference point up front that frees Eze and Madueke to attack different shoulders. It’s the kind of diversity that survives sticky away days and heavy legs.
Forest leave with a checklist. Tighten distances between midfield and defense. Make the first pass after regaining the ball safer, then build. Pick the traps more carefully so the press turns into chances, not chases. Postecoglou’s blueprint needs time, but time only buys something if the details harden. The effort is there; the edges need sharpening.
Big-picture, this was a snapshot: one team already comfortable in its skin, the other still pulling on a new one. Arsenal own the points and the clarity. Forest get the tape and the lessons. On nights like this, the separation shows as much as the scoreline.