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Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 on Tuesday, January 30, getting closer to Liverpool at the top of the Premier League. Fans were particularly pleased with Gunners star Bukayo Saka, who scored the second goal to consolidate their lead.
The match at Forest started slowly for the Gunners. In the first half, they had lots of the ball (81%) but struggled to create chances. Saka's shot went just wide, and on the other end, Forest's Danilo also missed a chance from afar.
After halftime though, the Gunners' efforts paid off. Gabriel Jesus hit the post with his first big chance but soon scored from a tight angle. Later, Jesus set up Saka on a devastating counter-attack, and the winger scored with a low shot on his weaker right foot, making it 2-0 in the 72nd minute. Forest did score late through Taiwo Awoniyi, but Arsenal (46) held on for the win, which left them just two points behind the leaders, Liverpool (48).
Fans were mighty impressed with Saka's performance. They took to social media to praise him, with one fan saying:
"Look at the way he celebrated his goal. This is the evil version of Saka. The league isn’t ready."
Another added:
"Starboy silencing the haters".
Here is a selection of their posts:
Another fan praised his goal:
One fan commented:
Another added:
Arteta welcomes heated discussion between White and Zinchenko after Arsenal win
Defenders Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko were seen arguing after Arsenal's 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest. This came after Forest scored a late goal through Taiwo Awoniyi, as they looked to mount a comeback.
Gunners' manager Mikel Arteta has said he likes this kind of behavior. He explained to Laura Woods from TNT Sports (via Eurosport):
“That’s pushing each other and being not happy to concede. I have to encourage that and promote it in the right way and the respectful way. Sometimes after the game, it can be a bit too emotional and too heated, but I love that the players are pushing each other in excellence. Today we conceded a goal that is not at the level that we want.”
This victory has moved Arsenal ahead of Manchester City in the Premier League standings. They are now second, just two points behind the Reds, who they will face at the Emirates Stadium on the weekend. Before that though, Jurgen Klopp's men have to face Chelsea on Wednesday, January 31.
