Nottingham Forest collapsed to a 5-0 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Forest who were in high spirits heading into the encounter after they claimed a shock win over Liverpool at home the week before but soon faced a reality check. The hosts struck the opening goal inside five minutes through Gabriel Martinelli as Forest trailed 1-0 at the break.
But things took a sour turn for the visitors as substitute Reiss Nelson scored two in quick succession shortly after the interval. Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard then added to the Reds' misery to send the Gunners back to the top of the Premier League table.
READ MORE: How Steve Cook assumed leading role in Steve Cooper's Forest team
READ MORE: Brutal Nottingham Forest admission made after 'painful viewing' against Arsenal
NottinghamshireLive takes a look at how the national media reported on events from the Emirates Stadium...
BBC Sport, Matt Gault
For Forest, it was a sobering defeat after the ecstasy of their shock win over Liverpool last week.
Sights of the Arsenal goal were rare for the visitors in the first half, with Remo Freuler firing a long-range shot straight at Aaron Ramsdale and Jesse Lingard seeing his effort blocked after Gabriel Magalhaes gifted him the ball.
Trailing by a single goal at the break, Forest boss Steve Cooper will be disappointed with how his side collapsed in the early stages of the second half.
However, with Forest having picked up just two points on the road this season, taking something away from Emirates Stadium was always going to be a big ask.
But they will look to regroup quickly with home games against Brentford and Crystal Palace before the season breaks for the World Cup.
The Telegraph, Sam Dean
Forest’s victory over Liverpool last weekend will now feel as if it was from a different lifetime for Steve Cooper, who appeared aghast at his side’s dreadful defending. This was a deeply concerning showing, lacking in any discernible ambition or quality.
Much more of this and relegation is a certainty. “We fell way short today,” said Cooper. “It ended up as painful viewing and painful for the players to play in.”
Forest’s approach at first was to defend deep and tackle hard. Within 50 seconds, they had committed their first foul, with Renan Lodi clattering into the back of Saka.
Did Forest know that the game was up? It looked like it.
More pain was to come for Forest, with Martin Odegaard soon lashing a fine finish high into the net after he had combined with Jesus inside the area. It completed the humiliation for the visitors, who had no answer to the class that Arsenal showed in attack, first with Saka and then without him.
The Guardian, Simon Mail
Forest were braced for a long afternoon and Gabriel Jesus curled a shot narrowly past the far post. Cooper knew chances were likely to be scarce and Remo Freuler’s long-range shot was fired straight into the arms of Aaron Ramsdale.
Forest’s struggle to make any attacking inroads was summed up by Jesse Lingard’s wild strike which careered hopelessly away from the target. Ødegaard set up Jesus for another attempt but his fierce strike rose harmlessly over Henderson’s crossbar.
Arsenal were in complete control and Forest had no answer to the wave of attacks. Partey was next in on the act, firing a stunning strike from the edge of the area past the flailing arms of Henderson after the excellent Nelson turned provider.
There have been some horror shows already this season from Forest – conceding six goals at Manchester City and losing 4-0 at struggling Leicester – with this another to add to the list. Their recent defensive improvements disintegrated in the face of Arsenal’s swaggering display.
For Forest it was a chastening experience and Arsenal will have few easier afternoons as they extended their unblemished record at the Emirates this season.
Daily Mail, Martin Samuel
Forest so obviously second best from the moment the game started. They enjoyed a brief revival before half-time when Arsenal seemed affected by the loss of Bukayo Saka, but Nelson took the game away from them at the start of the second-half and, in the end, it could have been many more.
Gabriel Jesus had a hand in three of the goals and probably could have scored the same number with better fortune. He last found the net on October 1 but, taking up the positions he does and with this service, more goals will come.
It did not matter on Sunday because Nelson was the unlikely man of the moment, on for the sadly stricken Saka, and scoring the back to back goals that removed Forest from the contest.
Four second-half goals in less than 30 minutes dispatched Forest, but Nelson’s two in three decided the game. For the first, five minutes after half-time, Granit Xhaka picked out Jesus who could have gone it alone but instead moved the ball smartly and generously to Nelson.
In the 32nd minute, the visitors broke through Jesse Lingard, whose shot was so wild it almost struck the corner flag. Soon after, Gabriel passed sloppily to Lingard in the box trying to play his way out of trouble but his shot was blocked.
The Sun, Joe Adams
Steve Cooper’s £150million pick-and-mix collection had stunned Liverpool last weekend, to make this contest look less of a home banker than it might have looked.
When Forest did create an opener, Cheikhou Kouyate robbing Partey and releasing Lingard, the former Manchester United man shot so far wide his effort almost went off for a throw-in. Morgan Gibbs-White escaped with a yellow card for a reckless challenge on Granit Xhaka.
But Arsenal ended the first half looking panicky - Gabriel Magalhaes passing straight to Lingard in the box but Ben White making a diving block. Still, there was nothing panicky about Arsenal’s start to the second period and within an eight-minute spell 1-0 became 4-0. First Partey’s pass split the Forest defence, Xhaka squared for Jesus, who laid off for Nelson.
The sub’s first-effort was parried by Dean Henderson but the second was thumped into the roof of the net. Cooper hauled off Lingard and Gibbs-White but almost instantly, it was four - Partey spanking home from 20 yards after a cut-back from Nelson.
Cooper hauled off Lingard and Gibbs-White but almost instantly, it was four - Partey spanking home from 20 yards after a cut-back from Nelson. Martin Odegaard lashed home the fifth after good work from Partey and Jesus as the Gunners ran riot.
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