By Walter Broeckx
Arsenal team to start: Martinez, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Gabriel, Gibbs, Elneny, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Reine-Adelaide, Akpom, Lucas
On the beach: Macey, Bielik, Sheaf, Dasilva, Zelalem, Willock, Mavididi
A very mixed team at the start from Arsenal. And with only kids on the bench. A few experienced players like Gabriel, Gibbs, Elneny, Xhaka, The Ox and Lucas Peréz with no English experience. And then a few youngsters with hardly any experience at the highest level like Maitland-Niles, Akpom, Holding and the Jeff. And in goal we had Martinez.
What follows between () : this was from match highlights seen at half time:
(Arsenal getting away with losing the ball at the back. Gabriel gave it to Holding who had a bad touch and the ball ended up in front of the feet a Forrest player who missed the goal mouth.
At the other end Akpom being set up and with a good shooting angle but the keeper with a super save this time.
The Ox with the ball turns back and gives it to Xhaka. He probably said to him: hey just have go. And being even further out than against Hull…. Xhaka just hits the ball. It took a little deflection right at the start but the power of the shot beating the Forrest keeper and in it goes. What a strike once again. )
Real live report:
Half an hour played and I finally get to see something from the match. Elneny with a header a bit short and Holding has to make a foul at the expense of a yellow card on his birthday. But Arsenal can clear for a corner and clear any danger from that also. Elneny with a shot from distance that sails wide shortly before half time. Arsenal with a good counter started by The Ox to Akpom who gives it to The Jeff who shoots just wide. Lansbury then going in very hard on Gabriel who is holding his ankle and looks in trouble. But he limps off by himself. Shame on you Henry Lansbury… where did you learn that? Bendtner in the extra-extra time with a low shot but a comfortable save by Martinez.
Lansbury with another foul right after the restart and almost injured himself and the ref has a word but still no card. Arsenal playing the ball close to the Forrest penalty area in order to stay out of any Forrest pressure. If you are at their goal, they can’t score as the Dutch grandmaster used to say. The Jeff being fouled and Peréz with the free kick but comfortable save for the keeper. Lucas Peréz trying to make some useful runs but not being picked up by his teammates so far. Nottingham Forrest now with some more pressure on the Arsenal players and pushing them a bit back. But a good tackle from Gibbs wins the ball back for Arsenal.
Perez with a ball to Akpom who was pushed in the back when he was going to pull the trigger and the ref gave the penalty. Lucas Peréz behind the ball with a short run up and…. GOAL!! 0-2 to the Arsenal after 60 minutes.
Lansbury again with a foul and even the match commentator finds it strange that he has committed so many fouls and still hasn’t been booked. A good cross from Maitland-Niles but the header from Akpom is blocked for a corner. And Lansbury then finally is booked for his umpteenth foul.
Arsenal under some pressure, win it back in their own penalty area. The ball goes to Akpom who played it to Peréz who had a lot of work to do and had to use his body expertly to win the ball from the defender, then went past him, rounded the goalkeeper and slotted it home! GOAL !!! 0-3 to The Arsenal after 72 minutes. His second goal on the night. Well done!!!!
And then Gibbs finds Peréz in space at the edge of the penalty area but he scuffed his shot and made it an easy catch for the keeper. A hattrick would be some way to start your Arsenal career. Cohen goes in the book for tripping Akpom who was on a promising run. Peréz with a good run on the left flank but his sharp cross is cleared by a defender with Akpom right behind him.
After what looked a few minutes of endless possession the ball ended up in front of the feet of Peréz who unselfishly tried to play in Akpom who gave him the ball at first but a defender just got in between. Arsenal now really toying with Notthingham Forrest and making them chase an unreachable ball. Elneny his final shot however off target. But what an exhebition at times by the whole Arsenal team who passed the ball between the lines at free will.
After Bendtner went off Osborn had a shot but straight at Martinez who had been without work for most of the game. Two changes from Arsenal after 82 miutes with Akpom and Adelaide going off and Zelalem and Willock coming on. For the latter it was his first team debut I think.
Peréz trying to find the youngster on the overlap but a defender first on the ball. The Ox with a good dribble creating some room for a shot but the keeper with a long leg prevented another Arsenal goal. Bielik then comes on for Maitland-Niles in the 86th minute. A majestic first touch from the young Polish defender to smother an attack from Forrest. The Ox with a good dribble once again and a lay off to Peréz but a defender blocked his goal bound shot.
Arsenal just kept in control of things not really trying to add a fourth at the risk of any limbs, no need for that. It’s only the league cup. But still they did it. An amazing attack going over The Ox, to Bielik who played it to The Ox who let it run towards Peréz who slotted it in the path of The Ox again who coolly finished it off. GOAL!!! 0-4 to The Arsenal and that was the final score.
A great win from a very mixed team (something we weren’t that good at over the last years) but this time we surely made it a comfortable win.
Goal clips on arseblog.
jeezes a post match interview with Wenger but they only ask about Bendtner…. Come on you idiots there has been enough good and interesting points from Arsenal to talk about…..
Wenger now praising Perez for his second goal and his pass for the fourth goal.
Wener saying he had a bit more matured team out tonight and that it showed.
The league cup might be missing on his CV.
And he didn’t really bought Xhaka for his goal scoring qualities but he doesn’t mind him scoring and he can continue like he is doing
And then the stream stops.
Walter, I thought you were going to have the game report 2 minutes before the game ended. 🙂
From what I seen in commentary, all the medja sent their 3rd rate teams to cover tonight’s football. So it doesn’t surprise me that the only questions for Wenger were about Bendtner.
The Mirror was horrible for coverage. Slow, and few entries.
But, I think it was just before Lansbury got his yellow, they mentioned that some fan jumped the advertising and came to the Arsenal area, and gave Wenger some kind of food.
What the heck was that about?
So a cracking shot. A deserved penalty. A great solo goal and a great break away team goal.
No headed goals, so we must have been poor 😀
wow. good win. Thanks Walter and Andy. I can now sleep. I watch the clips over and over morrow at the office. Good work lads….
Andy, take a look here http://arsenalist.com/2016/09/20/nottingham-forest-vs-arsenal-highlights-league-cup/
all highlights with no extra words
All the boys indeed covered themselves in glory. COYG
The layout didn’t work that well sorry about that….
But with the pressure I put on myself I had to hurry it…
That’s better
This should get the confidence of the team going. It was like a training exercise for the lads and they used it. At one or two moments they just looked a little unconcentrated but this is probably due to the ease they could show in the game.
Emile Smith-Rowe had his debut in that 0-5 loss to Everton. He noticed there was a big jump from U18. 🙂 Nice interview with him on Arsenal.com.
Or poll, as some dummy at Arsenal.com calls them.
What are the chances of Akpom playing goal? 🙂
Perez second goal was awesome. He even looked to see if there are runners, and then poked it into the goal.
And his assist to OX also, superb. And Ox goal also neat. This should give Ox a lot of confidence.
WOO HOO , HOO ! Well done the boys ! At this rate we should have more than two players in double figures !
And the speed and touch that they displayed reminds me of a time past .AHHHHHH !
Up the Gunners !
Looks like the additions to the team are starting to relax and enjoy being at Arsenal, and finding their feet.
With the experienced core of the team and the rest of the players rotating like satellites we now have a good palette of colours to paint this years football season masterpiece in the Arsenal way.
What? Sorry, don’t know where this configuration of words coming out of my mouth comes from, but i had to “read” a dictionary lately.
Anyway for those who can understand Geordie and occasional swearing, see The True Geordie channel. Sometimes hilarious, all about the weeks football teams, tongue in cheek and fun.
Soon the “official” media will pack up and go, there are many who are doing a more realistic and lighthearted job across media instead of the dull repetitive boring and “PC” controlled “official” channels.
Very poor reporting from someone who does not go to the games. Surely you must have someone who goes to games. On another site with the guy Kevin the reports are so much more professional and he goes to all the games. This site is so disjointed and full of keyboard fans. Embarrassing for real Arsenal supporters.