Nottingham | Postecoglou era starts with defeat at Arsenal

Arsenal 3 - 0 Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest's new era started with an emphatic defeat against Arsenal

Author | Frank L

Stadium | Emirates Stadium

Former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou had failed to beat Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta in four previous meetings, with three defeats and a draw. That run was never in serious danger of ending as, while Nottingham Forest showed glimpses of quality, Arsenal controlled the contest throughout.

Noni Madueke, once again deputising for the injured Bukayo Saka on the right, was a constant threat. He repeatedly outpaced Morato and his inswinging corners unsettled the Forest defence. One such delivery led to the breakthrough when Chris Wood’s header fell to Martin Zubimendi, who struck a fierce volley that flew in with the aid of a deflection off Murillo.

Forest’s best moment came through Morgan Gibbs-White, who dragged his shot wide from inside the area after a swift counter.

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Arsenal tightened their grip a minute after the restart. Eberechi Eze, handed his first start for the club, set up Viktor Gyökeres for a simple close-range finish. Zubimendi then completed his brace with a header from Leandro Trossard’s cross.

Arteta will have been encouraged by the display, particularly given the absence of several key players. The only concern came in the first half when captain Martin Ødegaard was forced off with what appeared to be a shoulder problem.

The tactical impact of the new manager

Ange Postecoglou’s first match as Nottingham Forest manager requires some perspective. He has been in the job only a week and came up against an Arsenal side almost six years into Mikel Arteta’s tenure.

The Australian has had little time to leave his mark but there were glimpses of the direction he may take Forest. The most obvious was the switch to a back four, suggesting the 4-4-1-1 shape that has characterised much of his career will remain in place.

There was also a stylistic shift. Forest looked to build play more deliberately and hold territory higher up the pitch, a contrast to the direct, counter-attacking style that had brought success last season. Opta data underlined the change, showing their ‘direct speed’ was the joint-lowest recorded in a league match since the start of last season.

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Out of possession, they lined up in a 4-2-3-1 and defended largely man-to-man. It remains to be seen whether this becomes a consistent feature or was tailored to Arsenal’s fluid movement and depth. Under Nuno Espírito Santo, Forest had mostly operated in a zonal system, although he occasionally used man-marking against the league’s elite.

The defensive line was pushed higher than under Nuno but that came at a cost. Arsenal’s second goal, finished by Viktor Gyökeres, came from a ball lofted over the back line for Eberechi Eze to chase, with Forest unable to close down the passer. With time, their collective judgement on when to step up and press will need to sharpen.

Perhaps the most striking departure from Postecoglou’s past teams was in the role of the full-backs. Rather than tucking inside to bolster midfield, as has been his trademark, they held more traditional wide positions in a 4-3-3 during the build-up. Whether this was a temporary adjustment due to limited preparation or a longer-term plan remains unclear.

It is too soon to draw firm conclusions after a solitary fixture in his opening week, but Forest’s display against Arsenal contained enough tactical tweaks to hint at what may follow in the weeks ahead.