Arsenal kicked off their Premier League campaign with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon. 

And despite a nervy ending, three points is all that matters for the Gunners.

As with the Community Shield, Mikel Arteta sprung a surprise with the starting line-up, dropping Gabriel for Eddie Nketiah, shifting Thomas Partey to an inverted right-back role and moving Kai Havertz back into midfield in a very attacking set-up. 

The shape, akin to Manchester City’s from the end of last season, gave Arsenal plenty of the ball, with them registering 85 per cent in the first half but despite the attacking intent, they weren’t able to break down Nottingham Forest’s deep block often.

The two goals came from moments of magic rather than regular patterns of chance creation. 

The first was a result of some fine skill from Gabriel Martinelli to find Nketiah whose deflected strike beat former Arsenal keeper Matt Turner. The second was a sensational curler from outside the box from none other than Bukayo Saka.

Broadly, Arsenal kept Forest under control at the other end thanks to their dominance of the ball, but they were able to claw a goal back following a counter-attack from a corner late on to set up a nervy finish. 

It was a nervy finish which Arsenal handled well.

It looked like an Arsenal side still finding its feet to an extent, adapting to new teammates, new shapes and new relationships on the field, alongside a few players being short on match fitness.

While it was a dominant display controlling possession, the lack of clear-cut chances gives Arteta something to work on over the next week as Arsenal will not be able to rely on Saka’s brilliance every game.

Ultimately, all that matters in these early fixtures is three points. Familiarity and match sharpness will come by the time the first international break hits, so getting points on the board early always sets the team up nicely, as we saw last season.

Up next for the Gunners is a tricky trip to face Crystal Palace on Monday night at 8pm. The Eagles opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over Sheffield United and will have Selhurst Park rocking for their first home game of the season.