Gabriel Jesus scored and then set up Bukayo Saka for another seven minutes later to lead Arsenal to a 2-1 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Tuesday that moved the north London side to within two points of leaders Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta’s team, which won its second consecutive match after going three games without a win, climbed over Manchester City into second in the table with 46 points after 22 games. Holders City have 43 points, but have played two fewer games.
Liverpool have a game in hand and host Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday.
Forest are 16th with 20 points, two points above the drop zone.
Arsenal dominated possession but struggled to threaten the Forest goal before Jesus finally broke the deadlock in the 65th minute. Forest were lackadaisical on a throw-in and the ball fell to Jesus who fired through keeper Matt Turner’s legs from an impossibly tight angle.
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“(Arteta said at halftime) to keep trying and in the first half we did good,” Jesus told TNT Sports. “We were there and controlled the game, but the best way to control them is to keep the ball in the third part of the pitch, we did well in the first half but we didn’t score.
“Second half we scored so we controlled more of the game.”
The Gunners doubled their lead in the 72nd minute when Gonzalo Montiel gave the ball away near the halfway line and Forest were caught on the break. Jesus played a ball to Saka who shot across the goal, and while Turner got a hand on the ball, it was not enough to keep it out.
Forest substitute Taiwo Awoniyi pulled one back to energise the crowd in the 89th minute, prodding the ball home through a crowd, and then David Raya made a terrific save for Arsenal in the final minutes to secure the win in front of a crowd that included Arsenal great Robert Pires.
Arsenal had 19 shots to the home team’s nine, while both sides had three efforts on target.
Luton’s Adebayo scores first top-flight hat-trick in Brighton mauling
Elijah Adebayo of Luton Town celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal, his hat-trick, during the Premier League match between Luton Town and Brighton. | Photo Credit: ALEX PANTLING/Getty Images
Luton Town thrashed Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 to move out of the Premier League relegation zone with Elijah Adebayo scoring a hat-trick after the Hatters went two goals up inside the first three minutes at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday.
Adebayo opened his tally with a header from close range after 18 seconds before speedy winger Chiedozie Ogbene beat the offside trap to make it 2-0 after two minutes and 17 seconds.
Adebayo fired in his second of the night at the near post in the 42nd, off a pass from Ross Barkley, before completing his first top-flight treble by heading in an Alfie Doughty flicked-on corner in the 56th.
In the history of the Premier League only Leicester City, in the opening two minutes against Derby County in 1998, had reached 2-0 quicker than Luton, who started the season as favourites for a quick return to the second tier.
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