Martin Zubimendi scored his first Arsenal goals as the Gunners comfortably beat Nottingham Forest to give Ange Postecoglou a defeat in his first game in charge.
Former Tottenham manager Postecoglou had not beaten Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta in the previous four matches they had faced each other in, with three losses and one draw.
That record did not seem likely to change as, although Forest showed promise in some of their play, Arsenal took charge of the match.
Arsenal’s Noni Madueke, again starting on the right in place of the injured Bukayo Saka, was impressive as he seemed able to beat Morato every time he had the ball, while his inswinging corners caused problems for the Forest defence.
It was from one of these corners that Arsenal took the lead. Chris Wood headed one of Madueke’s deliveries to the edge of the box and Zubimendi hit a powerful volley past Matz Sels with a slight deflection from Murillo.
Morgan Gibbs-White had the best chance for Forest when he shot wide from inside the penalty area following a counter-attack.
The Gunners doubled their lead one minute into the second half when Eberechi Eze, making his first start for Arsenal, teed up Viktor Gyokeres to tap in from close range.
Zubimendi then added his second with a header when he got on the end of substitute Leandro Trossard’s cross.
Arteta will be delighted with the performance his side put in, with a number of key players out injured and captain Martin Odegaard having to be replaced with what looked like a shoulder injury in the first half.
Arsenal analysis: Gunners dominate
Arsenal were criticised for their performance in the loss against Liverpool before the international break, but they brushed off that disappointment to dominate against Forest.
In response, Arteta named an attacking side with Eze and Madueke either side of striker Gyokeres.
In midfield, Mikel Merino was handed a start, after scoring a hat-trick against Turkey for Spain while on international duty, alongside Odegaard as Arsenal looked to take control of the game.
Zubimendi, there to link up the play, scored two goals in the same game for the first time in his top-flight club career.
Madueke, fresh from scoring his first England goal, continued that good form and was the Gunners’ standout player.
He was positive whenever he was on the ball and provided an outlet for his team. And Forest, following an injury to Murillo, moved Neco Williams to left-back in an attempt to keep Madueke quiet.
Madueke was replaced to a standing ovation while the supporters inside the stadium sang his name.
Cristhian Mosquera started alongside centre-back Gabriel in place of William Saliba, who is continuing his recovery from an ankle problem, and also put in an impressive performance.
David Raya also reached a milestone as he made his 100th appearance for Arsenal and kept his 42nd clean sheet.
