Your Arsenal morning digest on Monday, October 31.
Gunners return to the top of the Premier League
Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League table yesterday with a 5-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium. Goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Thomas Partey, Martin Odegaard and a Reiss Nelson brace meant the Gunners recovered from Thursday's Europa League defeat to PSV.
Bukayo Saka lasted only 27 minutes before being forced off with an injury concern in the game's only negative. The early setback did provide Nelson with the chance to impress in the league for the first time this season and he certainly took it. The academy product scored twice in three second half minutes to throw his name in the hat for next week's trip to Chelsea.
The Gunners were relentless in their offensive threat to Steve Cooper's men. Four second half goals were scored by the hosts as they returned to winning ways. You can read how football.london rated the players, here.
READ MORE: What Mikel Arteta did as Reiss Nelson stunned the Arsenal fans in Nottingham Forest victory
Mikel Arteta provides Saka injury update
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he is hopeful that Bukayo Saka's injury picked up against Nottingham Forest will not rule him out of next month's World Cup.
Saka started the game on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium after featuring for half hour in the midweek Europa League defeat to PSV Eindhoven. The 21-year-old partnered Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus in the Gunners' front three but his afternoon was over within 27 minutes after suffering with injury.
Club doctor Gary O'Driscoll assessed Saka as he tried to continue after picking up a knock but he was unable to continue following two lots of treatment on the pitch. Reiss Nelson replaced him and made the most of the opportunity with two goals in three second half minutes as Arteta's men returned to the top of the table with a 5-0 win.
After the game, Arteta was asked whether Saka would now be a doubt for the tournament. He said: “Hopefully not. It was a bad kick.
"Right from the beginning he was limping, but I don’t see any further than that. Let’s see how he is in the next couple of days.”
Former Liverpool talent makes Arsenal title claim
The Gunners are winning over some of their harshest critics over the past few years with their impressive performances so far this season, but one former Liverpool talent has revealed he wants Arsenal to win their first Premier League title since 2004 this season. Brentford midfielder Sergi Canos, who is surprisingly one of those hoping that will be the case, admits he would love to see his London rivals lift the trophy.
“I see them doing very well,” Canos told Marca. “I like the way they work as a team, it’s a pleasure to watch them play."
Canos spent three years at Anfield which included a successful loan spell with the Bees, before he permanently joined Arsenal's London rivals in 2017. The Spaniard added: "Although they haven’t yet had that dip in performance that all teams tend to have.
"When that happens, they will have to show how strong they are as a group. I would like them to win the Premiership.”
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