Arsenal progressed to the fourth round of the EFL Cup thanks to a 4-0 win against Nottingham Forest. Granit Xhaka opened the scoring, fellow summer signing Lucas Perez added a brace and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain netted at the death as the Gunners mix-and-match side enjoyed a comfortable evening on their first visit to the City Ground in 17 years.
As expected Arsene Wenger made 11 changes from the team that started the win at Hull and raided the Academy to make up the numbers on the bench. Kieran Gibbs was given the honour of captaining the side.
The Gunners opened the scoring on 23 minutes courtesy of Granit Xhaka’s second thunderbolt in four days. The Swiss, who scored at Hull on Saturday, found the top corner with the aid of a slight deflection after taking aim from the best part of 30-yards. (1-0)
The Jeff nearly doubled the lead moments before half-time, his deft finish falling just wide of the Forest post after a lightning fast break involving Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and the sharp Chuba Akpom.
The home side had been the brighter side in the opening stages but resorted to tough challenges as the visitors tightened the screw with slick combination play. Nicklas Bendtner was booked 15 minutes into his debut for a challenge on Xhaka while fellow ex-Gunner Henri Lansbury should have been cautioned for a foul on Gabriel. The Brazilian required treatment on his ankle.
Arsenal doubled their lead on the hour mark when Lucas Perez scored from the penalty spot. The Spaniard’s first goal as a Gunner came after Chuba Akpom had been felled by Michael Mancienne. (2-0)
Perez helped himself to his second goal of the evening on 70 minutes. After latching onto an Akpom through ball the Spaniard showed real strength to bundle the ball home under pressure. (3-0)
In the final ten minutes Akpom, The Jeff and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were replaced by Chris Willock, Gedion Zelalem and Krystian Bielik respectively and the travelling support sportingly gave old boy Bendtner a standing ovation when he too was substituted.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain added further gloss with a tidy finish in injury-time. (4-0)
All in all, a fun night for the boys in grey and yellow.
Starting XI: Martinez, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Gabriel, Gibbs, Elneny, Xhaka, The Jeff, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Akpom, Lucas
Subs: Macey, Bielik, Sheaf, Mavididi, Willock, Zelalem, Dasilva
This time I might have to take Xhaka goal out for lunch…
Pure Class from the boys. Not all the players had a great game but somehow they all managed to contribute in a way and produce such a brilliant display. Arsene Wenger should be proud of his team and how far his younger crop have come. Maitland Niles credit to him for his display in RB a few defensive lessons and i think he could make that his new position and actually do a bellerin that was a very composed perfornance from him you could tell his loan did him well his grown up as a player. Gibbs had a fantastic… Read more »
Be considerate and warn your neighbors if you plan to bring home a screamer.
Brilliant!
I must say it has been a long time since i have seen the Arsenal control a game with such class and skill! You were great boys!
Especially with our main players like Ozil and Cazorla being rested. The Sheff Wednesday game comes to mind where our midfield was absolute wank. The addition of Xhaka and El Neny has given us the all important cover in the midfield.
I hope he sticks with the same team for the next round. They all deserve to play!
That depends on the opponent, I think
May be a bit optimistic against Chelsea.
Perez: Bist first goal for the club since Xhaka
A penalty?
(I guess you missed the Arsecast extra…and the fact it is Arsenal goal the only first goal since Xhaka)
Are you from New Zealand?
I am!
*em
Aussie…lol
bist comeback eva though
Typical Perez goal, running like the wind fighting like the devil and finishing with aplomb.
Hope that is the first of many Perez goals he really fights like hell for the ball.
Perez and Alexis together should cause chaos for opposition defences
Look at that second goal from Lucas! Pure determination combined with pace and power. Think there is a lot to come from him
Is it greedy of me to be disappointed he didn’t get a hatrick? That would have been such a brilliant way to kick-start things.
Now monkey is of his back, scoring two with brilliant second, now he can hit the ground running in the PL and CL, and not thinking of his first goal, after he scored the penalty you could see how much pressure was relived from him and started to playing much much better. Great assist also.
Hasn’t Mancienne fallen from grace. He was a big pile of steaming dog-turd in this game. 100% culpable on both Perez’ goals
He deserved a hatrick but I loved it when he was through on goal, chasing a hatrick but he still tried to pass to Akpom.
No!
As he ran onto it, made space for himself (behind the ball and player) took a touch, muscled a defender off, pushed it past the keeper and held everyone off to twack it into the net both my brother and I turned to one another and said ”Ian Wright”. If he can be half as good, then we have a player for sure. I loved the determination on show in that goal.
Perez looking good.
Easy peasy overall.
Admit it. We all wanted that TGSTEL goal to happen.
Not when I saw it was Martinez in goal, I really wanted him to get a clean sheet. Ospina, who I assumed would play, wouldn’t care about a garbage goal.
Naah!, i like the guy, and want him to do well….but not when playing against us.
You know what, I’m actually going to agree with you. After we were 3 or 4 goals up of course. TGSTEL was an unbelievably frustrating player for us, but he was also a real character – and that is a dwindling species. There are lots of pedestrian players who come and go and you don’t even. How can you forget Bendtner ever if you lived through that period as an Arsenal fan?? Him scoring tonight would have been a sweet end to the story and would have rolled back the years. Admittedly those weren’t GOOD years, but they were part… Read more »
If Bendtner had taken a halfway decent first touch on that pass from Wilshere against Barca and then finished one on one with the keeper, he would have been a legend at Arsenal and a number of careers would have been different. But he didn’t, and I think his Arsenal career was more or less cooked after that.
Agreed ad infinitum..if only though…
I love it when we win.
Lovely goals, going to really enjoy Lucas doing that kind of thing in the PL
Good for the Ox too, it’s clearly mental issues keeping him from his potential – every win like that should help
He needed that goal so bad. He kinda struggled otherwise. Again some bad touches. His first touch has been really off this year. But hopefully that goal can right the ship, because that is the type of play we have all been hoping to see more of
Yeah, Ox struggled up to a point, about midway through the second half (even then, he had some nice moments mixed in with the kind of glaring errors that have typified his performances of late and clearly stem from confidence issues). But I thought he started to look really strong near the end as Forest tired and after he was switched out to the right flank. E.g. he had a great run and pass to give Lucas a great chance for the hat trick. And his goal wasn’t just well-taken; the creation of the chance itself was completely down to… Read more »
I love our away fans.
When they went from 25 “hurrahs” to a “shoot” when Xhaka got the ball, was so fucking funny and impressive!
*doffs cap…
Perfect result, xhaka showing future opponents they can’t sit off us any more or he’ll bury one top corner, and perez off the mark, good performances from akpom an the jeff too
Best we’ve played all season
So many B E A utiful Dribbles!
After the start from Ox I thought this was the end for him, lost all confidence etc etc.. What mental strength he showed to carry on and end it like that!!
Small steps Alex well done!
Is Xhaka just going to do this every match? Bloody brilliant, it almost doesn’t matter if he doesn’t do anything else.
Also , wish that Carryon chap had scored at the end. I had my “Carryon, Carryon, it doesn’t really matter” line all ready. Damn reality for not fitting into my joke.
Call me crazy, but I was very happy for the clean sheet for our EFL Cup team, rather than song line stuff?? 🙂
Clean sheets are overrated. Whereas, my joke…..
Ok before you start thinking I’m being serious, let’s all move on.
🙂
“Nothing really matters…”?
2 goals plus assist for lucas, and another screamer for xhaka. v nice
Lansbury morphing into Bendtner…
The Jeff and Akpom impressed for me, as did all of our back 4.
El Neny and the Ox were pretty bad until the second goal.
We must have been watching different games, I thought El Neny ran the show. Agree about the Ox though. Hope he kicks on.
I enjoyed the sexual favour but I wish it went on a little longer. 4-0 win man, just enjoy it. Great team performance.
I though the ox had a decent game considering his recent performances, a umber of times he had the NF defence scrambling and could of had a couple of assists. Hes at his best taking on players just outside the penalty box.
Are you pissed Mike? 🙂
Little thing, but has anyone noticed how we kick the ball a few metres away whenever we get a decision against us this season. Happened loads against Hull and again tonight. Wonder if Wenger has spotted a way to allow us a few extra seconds to reorganise.
Yes I notice that too, and not only tonight’s game and the hull, we started doing from the start of the season, and I also remember many times in the years when we didn’t do that on a trow in or a free-kick and the opposition playing it kick and we get punished, also I like that we were still doing it when we were winning 3-0, why to concede a goal.
You can’t help but feel we upped our ‘cunty’ game this season a little bit with the addition of an oul bastard like Xhaka. It’s great.
I don’t like your name
I do. I think it’s an amusing play on words.
Sorry, I’ll change it just for you.
I like it too
Can anyone answer me this: Why did we ever let go of Bendtner?
Because he had it all in his locker and left it in there far too often
To make room for the Jeff, the grove couldn’t withstand the heightened level of awesome of both of them
We didn’t let him go, his pants elastic snapped and the rest is history…:-)
We couldn’t find the Keys to the locker..
All that plus Wenger finally accepted that Arsenal could never compete with TGSTEL’s first love, taxis.
Got to be honest Xhaka is pretty impressive, this guy gets me moist… Always a decent pass never panics, always looking got a pass forward. shields the ball well…Plays with a wise head…. And a fucking lethal left foot……. Equals pure excitement….
Really enjoyed this match…. Was a great game to watch.
Amazing
Coyg
Lucas: 2 goals and 2 assists from 2 starts.
Pretty impresive. Panic buy? What panic buy? It might be Pogba you have in mind?
If you’d asked me before the game three players I wanted to score, it would have been that sexy trio. I bloody loves me some xhaka!
Every time someone uses The Jeff I cringe and a little pieces for vomit slides up me throat.
You clearly have an issue there mate!
By my reckoning Omar already stuck many a chamber in your chest. If you persist with all your hating on The Jeff perhaps Omar should come pay you another visit.
I agree. He hasn’t earned the title ‘The’ yet.
Dennis didn’t just become ‘GOD’, he earned that title through divine work and inspiration.
He hasn’t earned the title, agreed.
But he is “The Jeff”.
You have mental issues.
Jazzy Jeff
Fuck, no!
lol
Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh TGSTEL
The Jeff makes you gag
Jeff We Can
The Jeff, The Jeff, The Jeff ^∞
Love the fact that almost all our starters rested, while Chelsea is having to play 120 minutes against Leicester.
I would have loved it even more if they lost. That DNA guy screwed it up, apparently.
If only Costa can get red carded and Fabregas breaks his nose by breathing, the evening would be perfect.
this got me choking and spluttering like a chick on thumbzilla.
Omg
#BoomXhakaLuka
*fouled
Xhaka plays with the swagger of a future Arsenal captain.
As long as Wenger doesn’t tame his game, absolutely.
Now imagine what the press would say if Pogba had done that twice in two games!!
Great performance, even if it was a game we should win. Some really pleasing signs from some of the lads, just what I wanted to see
What a comfortable win, keep it up boys, I really enjoyed the match. Oh! Xhaka, you beauty and i love me some Jeff. Onward and Upward. It’s about time Wenger add this Trophy to his collections as well as the Champions League. A man can dream!!!
Ooooof meh!!!
The future is bright!
Think Akpom was great, so was Lucas and Elneny pulled the strings. And that Xhaka’s left foot, oof. We are forgeting how good Gibbs is. So many positives from tonight.
And, yeah…. super, super Nick…
I think Akpom was average other than the penalty win and assist I actually thought he and the OX in that firsr half were poor. But in the 2nd half they got better but both players were good and bad in patches mostly average.
Criticism of the Ox is RIDICULOUS.
Its the same sort of small mindedness that have seen Walcott and Ramsey and Coquelin and Campbell all told they were useless before they even hit 23yrs.
He does very good things in recent games, He is trying and putting in an effort too.
He’s only issue is the final touch is missing because he is too anxious to get it right.
This will give him a bit of confidence.
But some fans really have to get a reality check. Honestly.
This is perfect
Good game and the new boys hit the ground running. Anyone noticed that the blog disrespected the TGSTEL calling him old boy Bendtner. Where is the Lord before the name?
Granit cruise missile!
One every game will be lovely.
Not too much to ask for surely.
35m paid, and he shoots from 35.
Yet another great buy by Wenger. Ditto Mustafi, Ozil, Alexis.
Wenger has bought poorly like anyone but critically he tends not to spend high so he minises impact to the club and allows us to grow revenue.
When he has bought at premium, he has been SPOT ON.
You won’t hear the media bleating on about this.
😉
Thought el neny was class.
Again…lets see what those naysayers will be saying now. All these people putting down players even before they have a chance to get acquainted with their new team. Lucas is another well considered buy. He may not be first on the list but he has many very good attributes to bring to the team. When it comes to buying Wenger is excellent. No surprise why many players are surreptitiously linked to us. Unfortunately the gullible (and there are many) then believe the press when they run a spurious article with “Arsenal fail to sign…” as we would because frankly we… Read more »
I like Gibbs.
I like Gibbs too.
I also like Gibbs
My wife also likes Gibbs.
I like your wife
I like your wife too
My wife likes your wife.
I love you all!
Why are Nottingham Forrest’s fans such cunts? Is their ground just so small that every petty song gets picked up on the microphones?
SuperTom7 sounds like a disguised Akpom lol
the movement for Ox’s goal is dizzying.
dazzling stuff.
Lucas has a Sanchez like hunger about him. Still finding his feet but his interplay looks good. I’d like to see him start against Chelsea. I feel less worried about player fatigue this season with our squad size. Also, holding looks a real prospect.
I am excited about Holding.
I am excited about Holding too.
I am also excited about Holding.
My wife likes Holding.
I like holding your wife
I am excited about holding his wife
See what you’ve started here …
Yep sorry! 🙂
Through to the next round. First choices rested whilst Chel$ea played more of their first teamers for an 120 minutes. No excuses for Saturday. Let’s be ‘avin’ ya!
On my stream, an Arabic one, Willock’s name was spelled “Wilcock” when he came on!
Am I the only one who saw it (not including my ManUtd supporting friend, whom while I was shouting “Look, Willock, finally” told me that I need to learn the names of our youngsters) 😛
Nice and easy controlled win like a walk in the park or something.
I always look forward to these cup matches in which the young players get a chance to play with some veterans mixed in to guide them. Really was big having a veteran central midfield trio in Xhaka, Elneny and Ox along with Perez up top. Loved the energy we played with and the poise the youngsters showed (those that came in too). Elneny and Xhaka make a great pairing in my opinion as both are so active and seemed to cover one another well. I hope Elneny will get his chances this year as well as he has much to… Read more »
Whoever said this match had an old scholl feel to it was spot on. Lots reserve players with big potential with a sprinkling of first teamers, kicking the shit out of a Championship team, crazy ass bench. Wow..I am a happy Gooner 2day? And the Xhaka goal..what a beauty☺
Watching the goals again. I.m loving how Lucas just shoves the defender who fell oon top of him away..like get the fuck off me dude. Bit of attitude there..nice. And the Ox goal is brilliant
Yet another high scoring game for the gunners,sure hope this form continues for the game against chelsea this weekend.