Bukayo Saka is BACK! | Nottingham Forest 1-2 Arsenal Tactical Analysis

People deluded I'm back again. Let's get into it. As you know, Arsenal defeated Nottingham Forest two goals to one. Let's review the game quickly. Now, as you lot know, Arsenal two, Nottingham Forest one, big up Saka and Jesus. When you look at all of the percentage stats and final third entries, it was complete domination and it wouldn't be Arsenal without some nerves. You know, it was a difficult ending and I love to see the passion from Zinchenko and Mikel Arteta and Benjamin White. Now the one dampener would be the goal. It was a fantastic, you know, opening pass from Danilo. Zinchenko obviously switched off defensively. We've seen this frequent times people and by the time he is aware it's too late. But I'm not going to lie to you lot. Could Saliba and Gabriel have done a bit better defensively and potentially White? Nobody's picked up the striker. Saliba is over covering. Gabriel is unaware. And like I said, simultaneously Zinchenko must hold the count for that. I did like the goal Saka scored in particular because we picked Forest's pocket early doors and Saka with a very cute right foot finish. What a star boy he is. You know, don't ever criticise my star boy non-Arsenal fans. First player to score back-to-back goal contributions in as many seasons. 23 goal contributions in 29 appearances this season. Star boy, you know, he got rid of the blonde hair and it's taken him a week to get back to scoring ways, man. He's now been involved in 14 goals this season with seven goals and seven assists. Star boy settings. Big up Gabriel Jesus. Doesn't score many, but when he does score, it's saucy. He makes the easy look difficult and the difficult look easy people. He's actually never lost when he scored people. We have now won 20 points on the road people in the Premier League. So yeah, big up Gabriel Jesus, big up Saka and big up the team. Disappointed to concede, but it is what it is. You didn't have to do Matt Turner like that Jesus. I thought that's the best I've ever seen Turner play. Gabriel Jesus had a great game in my opinion and deserved his goal and assist to match people. Smith-Rowe who can't really buy a start. Last three starts of coming three different calendar years drew praise from Mikel Arteta. I hardly think Emil Smith-Rowe laid down any trees or pulled up any trees, but it was an encouraging start and encouraging significant minutes. Long may it continue. Arteta quietly remains confident on our push for the title, where we can do it's another thing. And again, I did like Benjamin Wight and Zinchenko because I want to see passion from my players. Big us up. Now big up you lot people for tuning in. Don't forget to let me know your thoughts on anything and everything. Not only I've covered in relation to our victory against Nottingham Forest, but also your own personal opinions. Hit up the comment section. Don't forget to like and subscribe and help the YouTube algorithm. Now in conclusion, my thoughts in relation to Nottingham Forest Arsenal. The first thing I would say is, you know, it wouldn't be Arsenal if there wasn't a bit of nerves, you know, I'd say what for 85 minutes, you know, we was relatively in control. And then obviously we didn't get a clean sheet, which is obviously disappointing. Not only the manner which led to us conceding, but also the fact of there was a bit of nerves, you know, VAR was starting to get involved. We've seen this movie before. So apart from that, relatively smooth sailing, far from perfect. I would say six and seven out of tens with a couple of sprinkled individual great performances. Lovely to see Bakayo Saka back on the score sheet. And for whatever people say, you know, you look at his goal and assist contributions, not only for this season, but the last couple of years, you know, it's very easy to forget how young and how young he is. And in my opinion, he's not even scratched the surface of his true potential. He's becoming a villain. You know, he's experimenting with dyeing his hair, you know, Bakayo Saka's got a Spanish daddy, Mikel Arteta, who's on the tough love figure, won't take him off. But that's our number seven. So I'm happy to see him score. Obviously, I'm happy to see Gabriel Jesus, you know, boost his goal and assist contributions. And his goal was amazing. You know, Gabriel Jesus is an enigma. He makes the easy look very difficult and he makes the difficult look extremely easy. And one does wonder, you know, if you just get a striker that, you know, moves the burden away from Gabriel Jesus scoring or being the sole beneficiary for goals or the source for goals for Arsenal. If you get another striker that is the bagsman, you know, I do think you'd see even more, you know, with the burden lifted off his shoulders. I think Jesus would bag a fair, decent amount, double figures, 10 to 15 odd goals in the league, you know, and stuff like that. But I think Jesus was brilliant. He worked the channels well. You know, again, he did very well, really played in the pockets, as you could see, Norton and Forrest were very rigid and compact, as you'd expect from a Nuno Espirito Santo side, or a team trying to limit Arsenal from doing their thing. So happy to see our striker Jesus and our right winger get on the score sheet. I think Zinchenko had a great game, if I'm honest with you. You know, obviously, the manner on how we've conceded kind of sums up Zinchenko defensively. Unfortunately, that will take a gloss off the defensive performance. Personally, as well, off topic, I like the fact Benjamin White and Zinchenko going at it, really and truly. You know, after the game, we get a drink, we're friends, but we want to chase that illusion of perfection, really and truly. We should have put a clean sheet. I still think we have an issue around scoring goals. I don't think it's quite the game like against West Ham, for example, or Liverpool in the first half, where clear-cut chances are not being converted. I think we had a lot of possession against Norton and Forrest, you know, a lot of sustained possession, a lot of final third entries, a lot of play in and around their box. But I think we needed to shoot more and test Matt Turner on another day, really and truly. He's taken a fantastic counter-attack, you know, really and truly. Their corner is broken down for the second goal. It looked like they kind of dealt with it. We pressed them high. Their defender, to be fair, barely put a foot wrong, but he did put a foot wrong. And between Odegaard, Jesus and Saka, they've converted. Obviously, we had a lot of sustained possession. And between Zinchenko and Smith-Rowe, they won us a throw-in. Quick thinking from Zinchenko to find his ex-City and current Arsenal teammate Jesus and a brilliant stare. Again, we had, I think, about 19 shots, only three on target. Now, three shots on target, two goals, that's great. But as we know, football is a game of percentages. On another day, the result may have been different, really and truly. Nice to see us score in the second half. In fact, all the goals came in the second half. So, I'm relatively happy. I like the passion from our full-backs going at it. I love some bits and pieces of our play. I think it was relatively smooth sailing. Second half was a bit open. Obviously, they brought on that Nigerian lad, the striker, and he offers a lot different to Chris Wood. He's able to do what Chris Wood does, but also work it running behind. And I also feel, and we've covered it, but Zinchenko's playing people onside. We've seen that time and time again from Zinchenko. But I don't think Gabriel and Saliba on reflection watching the game again did well enough. I remember they did something kind of similar against Liverpool last season where I believe Darwin Nunez scored. I think Zinchenko's playing people onside and I think I counted about seven, eight passes from Nottingham Forest. So, it was a good bit of sustained possession from them. Danilo is a lovely pass to kind of kill Zinchenko and take him out the game. And really, whether he's onside or not, we know Zinchenko isn't naturally switched on defensively and a lot of improvements need to be made. But I do think if you watch that goal again, Saliba and Gabriel neither are quite aware of where the striker is, neither are quite taking responsibility of the situation. Saliba's obviously over-covering and he's been out-muscled as well. So, I'm not here to clutch anyone or save anyone. I think there's a sequence of play. And obviously, our first defenders are midfield and attackers. And we've allowed Nottingham Forest to have sustained possession. Danilo's a quality player, as you saw. We've allowed him to kind of do that. So, yeah, I'd say if we could have scored some more, had some more clear-cut chances, worked Matt Turner a lot more. Obviously, I've not conceded. Other than that, relatively decent performance from us, really. Nice to see Sakharin Aizu scoring once again. I don't think he pulled up any trees, but he hasn't played significant football for a while. But I think Smith Rowe had an encouraging start, an encouraging game. I think Zinchenko will obviously be the poster boy for the goal conceded. But I think he was quality in the game. I think Odegaard was cute and clever with a lot of passes. And generally, I think it was a good team performance. And there's not more other than that. We've won our last game we've got in January. We now turn our focus to Liverpool, where that's going to be a very decent game. And the last time we will play a Jurgen Klopp sort of Liverpool. And to be fair, the next time we play Liverpool after that, unless we meet them in the Champions League final, God willing Arsenal are there, it will be somewhat of a new era of sorts for Liverpool. So, yeah, people, I don't know about you lot, but I'm happy. But as I said, could we on another day, could we have created more clear-cut chances and tested Matt Turner and ultimately scored more? Could we have got a clean sheet? I think our performance deserved it. Other than that, it's all right, really, Julian Turt. You know, maybe we tried to be a bit intricate at times, but I do also like elements of that. So anytime Arsenal win, I'm happy. I'm happy that we got the three points, people. As I said, let me know your thoughts. Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe. Let me know your thoughts on the Zinchenko-Benjamin White bus stop, what you make of Smith Rowe, what you make of Gabriel Jesus, what you make of Saka getting back on the score sheet, you know, and also big up Leandro Trossart as well, really. I didn't say that, but big him up as well. He didn't do anything of significance, but I feel he had an encouraging cameo off the bench and I feel when the game kind of, you know, heart and mouth and it kind of felt like it might go a bit, not left for Arsenal, but we've seen how crazy Premier League football can be. I think Leandro Trossart showed his experience in just running down the clock, you know, making the right decisions with his passing and holding on to the ball and all of that sort of stuff, really. Nothing that you necessarily should praise a footballer much less a professional footballer for, but I have to hail up Trossart for that. So, as I said, let me know your thoughts. Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe. Hopefully, we can begin February very well against Liverpool and keep this sort of, well, I can't really say winning run, but you get the point. We've got two wins in the bag, less manoeuvre in it. So, yeah, on that note, peace. Bye.