Mikel Arteta has said Arsenal’s summer signings are enabling his team to “become more unpredictable” after new-boys Martín Zubimendi and Noni Madueke starred in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal spent more than £260 million ($352m) on eight summer signings, five of whom started at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Arsenal lost captain Martin Ødegaard to a shoulder injury after just 18 minutes but dominated Forest regardless with Zubimendi opening the scoring just after the half-hour mark through a sumptuous volley from the edge of the box.
Viktor Gyökeres, a £63m ($85m) summer acquisition from Sporting CP, netted his third goal in four games as Eberechi Eze marked his full debut with an assist.
Cristhian Mosquera deputised for William Saliba at the back with an assured display while Madueke caused Forest’s defence problems all afternoon.
Zubimendi added a late third through a header from substitute Leandro Trossard’s cross as Arsenal put their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool just prior to the international break firmly behind them.
“The new ones that started, the five of them, really impressed with them,” Arteta said.
“You can sense that there are new relationships flourishing there to become more unpredictable.
“Noni [Madueke], I think he was exceptional as well.
“We played a front three we never played before. Good exposure for them, in terms of the timing, it was exactly what they needed because they played a lot of minutes so we are very happy.”
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Arteta reflected on the impact Arsenal summer spending spree is already having: “If we wouldn’t have done that, and with the injuries we have — some of them very difficult to control — we would be in a very different place.
“We knew that was the standard, that’s the standard of the other teams in the league, in Europe.
“You can see that. I’m very happy it gives us options, it gives is the capacity as well to change games, the capacity to have freshness in the team and now we have to make sure that everybody feels connected and important.”
