Premier League: Mikel Arteta reus Arsenal’s inability to finish game against Nottingham Forest

Arsenal kicked off their new Premier League season with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, 12 August. Despite the win, Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s performance in the second half of the match.

Arsenal had initially taken a comfortable 2-0 lead, thanks to goals from Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka. However, the team’s intensity waned in the second half, allowing Forest to launch a successful counter-attack. Taiwo Awoniyi, a substitute player, scored for Forest, turning the last 15 minutes of the game into a tense showdown.

Speaking after the match, Arteta admitted to TNT Sports that winning the first game of the Premier League season is always a challenge. He felt that his team deserved the win but criticised their failure to secure the game when they had the chance. He pointed out that a 2-0 lead in the Premier League can be precarious, as evidenced by Forest’s comeback.

“We didn’t kill the game and 2-0 in the Premier League is a really dangerous result. We had a lack of concentration on the counter after the corner, they scored a goal and then it’s game on and they throw a lot of bodies there,” Arteta said after the match.

“We didn’t concede anything but the feeling was, ‘Okay, we want the game to end and (take) the three points’,” he further added.

Forest’s goal came after a lapse in concentration from Arsenal following a corner kick. Despite not conceding any further goals, Arteta confessed that the team was eager for the game to end and claim the three points.

Forest’s resurgence came after their manager, Steve Cooper, introduced Anthony Elanga and Awoniyi to the game. The duo combined effectively to score Forest’s lone goal. Arteta acknowledged Forest’s competitiveness and organisation, noting that they don’t need many opportunities to score.

Despite his criticisms, Arteta had words of praise for Nketiah. The striker had been left out of the starting line-up for their Community Shield victory over Manchester City, which had disappointed him. However, he used this setback as motivation, training intensively throughout the week and convincing Arteta that he deserved a place in the starting line-up. His efforts paid off as he scored and performed well in the match against Forest.

Arteta hailed Nketiah as an example of the kind of player Arsenal will need this season. However, he also warned that Nketiah would have to continue proving himself to retain his place in the team, especially with their upcoming game against Crystal Palace.