Arsenal began their new Premier League campaign with a nervy 2-1 home win over Nottingham Forest yesterday after first-half goals from Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka.
Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi gave Arsenal a heart-in-mouth moment with a late goal but victory moved last year’s runners-up level with leaders Manchester City on three points but behind on goal difference after the champions beat Burnley 3-0 on Friday.
Arsenal’s persistence paid off and they put an end to Forest’s stubborn resistance when a sublime pirouette from Gabriel Martinelli put two defenders in a spin and set up Nketiah, who fired home past former Arsenal keeper Matt Turner.
They doubled the lead six minutes later when 21-year-old Saka received the ball at the edge of the box and curled in his shot from distance, giving Turner no chance to make a save.
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In other games, Odsonne Edouard spoiled Sheffield United’s return to the Premier League to give Crystal Palace a winning start to life after Wilfried Zaha at the Bramall Lane while at the Vitality stadium, Dominic Solanke salvaged a 1-1 draw for Bournemouth against West Ham in Andoni Iraola’s first Premier League game in charge of the Cherries.
At the Falmer stadium, Luton’s first match back in the top flight for 31 years ended in heavy defeat as Joao Pedro and Simon Adingra marked their debuts with a goal each in a comfortable Brighton 4-1 win.
At the Goodison Park, substitute Bobby de Cordova-Reid scored the winning goal as Fulham edged to victory over wasteful Everton in their opening game of the new Premier League season.
Forward De Cordova-Reid, who replaced Willian at half-time, snuck in unmarked at the far post to convert from Andreas Pereira’s pass to give manager Marco Silva the perfect start to the new campaign.
