Nottinghamshire

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.

Here are some of your comments:

Arsenal fans

Mike: Very confident display and showed the great benefit of Arsenal's active transfer period. The new boys all acquitted themselves extremely well. Keep up this excellent start and we will have a real chance of total success.

Vince: What a complete victory and to think the new boys haven't had much time to bed in. If all goes well, the second half of the season should prove to be great watching for us Gooners!

Ryan: Last year, losing Saka, Havertz, Saliba and Odegaard (plus no Rice) would have probably led to a shaky win or, more likely, dropped points. The strength in the squad now means that four definite starters are not missed. Get through this tough first three months of the season close to the top and Arsenal will be in good shape.

Barry: With the players we now have, barring too many injuries, this could be our time to win the league.

Phoenix: A good way to forget the loss at Anfield - good ball play from the guys. Just happy for Viktor Gyokeres and Zubimendi is a colossus of a player - small in nature, big in performance. Trophy is the currency that the team needs going forward.

Forest fans

Andre: I was expecting a larger defeat, to be honest. We need to bring in the new signings. Never been a fan of our new coach. Seems he is doing the same job when he was at Tottenham - taking us down the league!

Stephen: Forest haven't won at the Emirates for a while. No Ange effect either. Needs to start winning big time with all the new recruitments.

Mossy: Losing players this early in the season does not bode well, with games coming up quick and fast. Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi are shadows of the influential players of last season.

Steve: This is a disaster appointment by an owner who had a mardy and dumped our best manager for years!

Russell: Let's have some patience - Arsenal are a top side.

Manchester United are interested in Nottingham Forest's £70m-rated Elliot Anderson, but the midfielder is happy at the City Ground and has no plans to leave. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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Umir Irfan
Football tactics correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Ange Postecoglou's first game in charge of Nottingham Forest has to be assessed in a measured fashion given he is one week into the job and facing an Arsenal side almost six years into their project.

The Australian had limited time to put his stamp on this Forest side but a few differences were evident pointing to the direction Postecoglou might look to take his new team.

The most obvious was starting with a back four. It appears the 4-4-1-1 that Postecoglou has deployed across his career is to be maintained.

Stylistically, Forest aimed to build in a slower fashion - looking to establish territory higher up the pitch, rather than playing the more direct, counter-attacking style that was successful last season. Data from Opta showed that their 'direct speed' - how quickly they move the ball from defence to attack - was their joint-lowest for a game in the league since the start of last season.

Out of possession, they set up in what looked like a 4-2-3-1 shape and defended in a man-marking fashion. We will have to see more from Postecoglou to know if this man-to-man approach defensively is something they persist with or if this was specific to Arsenal given their quality and rotation-heavy style.

Nuno Espirito Santo by comparison, tended to set Forest up in a zonal fashion (meaning each player defended specific zones, rather than following individual players) but did use a man-to-man defence at times against the league's top teams.

Forest's defensive line was set higher up the pitch than under Nuno, but they were punished for this with Viktor Gyokeres' strike. Arsenal exploited a long pass over the top of the defence for Eberechi Eze to run on to as Forest failed to apply pressure on the passer.

Naturally, Forest's collective understanding of when to push up and apply pressure will improve with time.

Lastly, the biggest difference between Postecoglou's tactics on Saturday with how he has set up his teams at previous clubs was the use of full-backs. In build-up, Forest played in a fairly standard 4-3-3 shape with full-backs starting in wide positions rather than inverting into midfield as has been the norm in his sides. Was this a short-term tactic given the lack of preparation time?

It is difficult to make any definitive conclusions based on a single game in Postecoglou's first week in charge; however there were numerous new ideas at play against Arsenal that may become more evident in upcoming weeks.

Pundits Ashley Williams and Shay Given join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

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Alex Howell
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Ange Postecoglou was only named Nottingham Forest boss late on Tuesday, so the time on the training pitch will have been limited with his new squad.

Forest also have a number of players away on international duty, which would have lessened the tactical work that Postecoglou was able to do.

Even so, there were some noticeable changes to the side in the defeat to Arsenal. Under former manager Nuno Espirito Santo, the Reds became known for their organised defence and ability to counter-attack.

In the early part of the match, Forest did attempt to pressure the Gunners higher up the pitch but were forced back by the excellent Arsenal side.

Supporters will not have been too hopeful heading to north London with Forest winning only two of their past 16 matches against Arsenal, and both of those came at home.

Postecoglou again will not have much time to implement the expansive style he is known for, with a Carabao Cup game against Swansea City on Wednesday.

Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou spoke to BBC Match of the Day after his side's defeat to Arsenal: "Disappointed with the outcome. It's not nice losing any game. They're a very good side and pretty formidable at home. But even in that context, it's disappointing.

"The players gave everything they could, they had the right endeavour but the second goal pushed it away from us.

"It's been a really disruptive week for the players, I've tried to keep things really simple this week, we've only had one training session together but hopefully now we can start bedding in some of the principles we need to."

On only making one change from last game under Nuno Espirito Santo: "I just didn't think it was the time to disrupt them even further. They at least had the core of the team together so there is some cohesion there and some understanding rather than just throwing guys even.

"But I thought the guys who came on showed a little bit of brightness and promise, which is great for us. We've got plenty of games coming and they'll all get an opportunity.

"You only have to look at how we performed last year, they're very disappointed obviously but I've got to understand that they're human beings and a week ago their world was very different to what it is now."

On the squad: "I'm really happy with the squad. A lot of players haven't had an opportunity yet or were signed late in the window but that will be rectified over the next few weeks and once we've had some game time, I'm more than happy with this squad.

"Elliot Anderson is an outstanding footballer, watching him at close quarters today was brilliant. There are others, I was really impressed with Dan Ndoye today. Neco Williams was outstanding today.

"There is a strong mindset within the senior core of the group. I'm still as excited as the day I signed, I knew today would be tough but you have to take your medicine and move on."

On looking refreshed: "Whenever a manager looks tanned and well rested, it means he is out of a job so I'd rather not be looking so well and pale."

Speaking to TNT Sports about the job ahead of him, he added: "It hasn't been an ideal prep for the players and you have to take that into account. All you can ask for is effort and unfortunately, against a very good opponent, today was a bridge too far.

"This is a group of players who showed last year how hard they fight for each other. Disappointment today but there's only one way to respond.

"They're all big jobs. I haven't taken over an easy one yet but that's why I'm here. I love the challenge and we'll get to where we want to."

On Murillo's injury: "Looks like just a knock, so hopefully with some rest he'll be OK."

Did you know?

• Nottingham Forest are winless in their past three Premier League games (D1 L2), last enduring a longer winless run in the competition in April 2024 (run of four). Meanwhile, they have failed to score in successive Premier League matches for the first time since that April 2024 streak.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Arsenal's performance

What did you make of Nottingham Forest's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

It's a full debut for Eberechi Eze but there is no place for Declan Rice in Arsenal's starting line-up, with the midfielder settling for a place on the bench.

William Saliba is not in the matchday squad as he's still recovering from injury.

Arsenal starting XI: Raya, Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Merino, Odegaard, Eze, Madueke, Gyokeres

Subs: Arrizabalaga, Hincapie, White, Martinelli, Trossard, Nwaneri, Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman

Douglas Luiz, a summer signing from Juventus, is on the bench for Forest as the Brazilian looks for his first minutes in a Forest shirt.

Nottingham Forest starting XI: Sels, Williams, Murillo, Milenkovic, Morato, Anderson, Sangare, Gibbs-White, Ndoye, Hudson-Odoi, Wood

Subs: Victor, McAtee, Hutchinson, Boly, Luiz, Kalimuendo, Bakwa, Savona, Yates