Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest: The Debrief
Arsenal get back to winning ways
That win and that performance were something that lifted Arsenal and hopefully, in a month or two, we will be able to look back and point to this match as a catalyst for the team getting back into where we want and expect them to be.
This was not the hardest match of the season but it was a match that provided a stern challenge and a measuring stick to check if Arsenal were as good as we thought they were.
They passed with flying colors and give us reasons for optimism going forward about what this season can still be.
Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest: The Graphics
Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest: The Debrief
19 - Shots for Arsenal, this is the most the team has taken since the beginning of October when they took 29 against Southampton and the 3rd most that they have taken in the Premier League this season.
6 - Shots on target for Arsenal, tied for third most this season in the Premier League
1.7 - Expected goals, 4th most this season in the Premier League
In this match, it was nice to see Arsenal return to something closer to the Arsenal that we had seen previously.
Shots: 19 compared to 13.9 average this season before the match
xG: 1.7 compared to 1.6 average this season before the match
Field Tilt: 69% compared to 55% average this season before the match
Deep Touches: 67 compared to 48 average this season before the match
One of the big changes in this match the shots went in and they hadn’t always done that previously.
The defensive side of the game saw a massive bump up as well.
7 - Shots against
0.5 - xG against
0 - Shots on target allowed
This compares favorably to what the team had seen previously in the past two seasons but had not been able to do consistently yet this season.
Shots Allowed: 7 compared to 13.6 average this season before the match
xG Allowed: 0.5 compared to 2.0 average this season before the match
Deep Touches: 22 compared to 39 average this season before the match
Going even further, I think that the first half was an exceptional example of Arsenal looking like something closer to their best.
First-half numbers:
Shots: 11 to 2
xG: 1.3 to 0.1
Possession: 73% to 27%
Field Tilt: 81% to 19%
Deep touches: 41 to 5
Non-shot xG: 1.4 to 0.4
Expected Threat: 1.9 to 0.1
Progressive passes: 34 to 2
Long Possession (7+ passes): 16 to 4
High Possession Starts: 6
That first half basically had everything that you want and expect from Arsenal. They controlled space and tempo. They dominated the dangerous possession and forced Nottingham Forest into the spaces they wanted them in, and had the players to play through them.
The only thing it was missing was the extra goal or two that the performance probably deserved.
The second half was still good, but it did drop off with a lower intensity as the game did go from a +1 state to a +2 state early in the second half and in game rotation was possible.
Second-half numbers:
Shots: 8 to 5
xG: 0.4 to 0.3
Possession: 73% to 27%
Field Tilt: 54% to 46%
Deep touches: 26 to 17
Non-shot xG: 0.7to 0.4
Expected Threat: 1.1 to 0.5
Progressive passes: 13 to 12
Long Possession (7+ passes): 14 to 6
High Possession Starts: 1
There are a lot of positives to build on from this match and it was exactly what the team needed to help get them ready for the next run of games where they have the chance to prove their title credentials.
Odegaard’s return helps power Arsenal
68 - Pass Attempts
106.5% - Pass Efficiency (actual completion compared to expected completion)
11 - Final 3rd Entry Passes completed
6 - Progressive Passes
8 - Deep Completions (not from Crosses)
6 - Key Passes
0.38 - xA
2 - Shots
0.17 - xG
2 - Dribbles Completed
1 - Fouled
7 - Progressive Carries
10 - Progressive Passes Received
14 - Deep Touches
1 - Tackle
2 - Ball Recoveries
7.44 - Progressive Fields Gained passing and carrying
It is so easy to potentially overlook this performance because we have just come to expect this from Odegaard but it really is something special to be able to watch and the time without him on the field has made that even clearer.
Odegaard is probably not the best player on Arsenal (probably Saka), nor is he probably the one that has the best shout to being the best at his position in the world (probably Saliba), but he is still absolutely key for Arsenal to be able to play the way they want and to be at their best.
William Saliba shakes off his bad form
98 - Pass Attempts, led all players
98.0% - Pass completion percentage on 111.4% Pass Efficiency
8 - Progressive Passes, second among all players
3 - Long Passes Completed on 75.0%
753 - Total Progressive Pass Distance
40 - Forward Passes
2 - Tackles of 3 attempted
0 - Fouls committed
3 - Ball Recoveries
3 - Clearances
9.63 - Progressive Fields Gained, led all players
This type of game is one that I have known was possible from Saliba but one that it looked like it just wasn’t coming for him recently. He has almost been too conservative, too willing to defer to others on the ball, too often playing within himself.
That is still a good player but with this match, he reminded us that he is more than just a good player and that he has all the tools to be the best central defender in the World. If Arsenal are to be able to get themselves back into the title getting the performances that the team got today from Saliba and Odegaard will be a major reason why.
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