Arsenal display depth as Noni Madueke stars in 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest

Arsenal produced what former defender Martin Keown called a "scary show of strength" as they swept aside Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium, with new signing Noni Madueke among the standout performers.

The victory — Arsenal's third league win in four matches this season — came despite the absence of several key figures through injury. Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and William Saliba were unavailable and captain Martin Ødegaard was forced off in the 18th minute, but the Gunners showed the depth manager Mikel Arteta sought with a busy summer recruitment drive.

Arsenal spent around £250 million in the close season and added eight players, five of whom started against Forest. Viktor Gyökeres and Martín Zubimendi were among the headline additions and were already expected to feature regularly; others provided evidence of the squad's increased quality. Eberechi Eze made his full debut and supplied an assist for Gyökeres, while Madueke, operating primarily down the right flank, produced a performance that combined direct running with creative threat.

Madueke ranked first in the match for chances created (five), chances created from open play (five), dribbles completed (four) and duels won (nine). Arsenal directed 44.7% of their attacks down the right side to get the 23-year-old on the ball, and his work caused repeated problems for Forest's defence.

Arteta stressed the recruitment was deliberate to cope with the physical and scheduling demands of competing on multiple fronts. "If we wouldn't have done that and, as you said, with the injuries that we have, unfortunately some of them are very difficult to control, we would have been in a very different place," he said. "We knew that that was the standard, that's the standard of the other teams in the league in Europe, and you can see that. I'm very happy because it gives us options, it gives us the capacity as well to change games."

The manager also highlighted the volume of matches the squad faces this season with domestic and continental commitments. Arsenal travel to Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday for their first Champions League group-stage match, a factor Arteta cited as justification for investing in reinforcements. "The players have to play 70 or 74 games throughout the season. It's never been done," he said. "When the intensity was that high, they are not going to be able to sustain that. So you need more players, the standards have raised, we need better players and there's no secret."

Keown, appearing on TNT Sports, lauded the balance and quality on display. "That was a real scary show of strength from Arsenal, with the quality of player. You've been without Havertz, and Saka unavailable, and that was a problem for Arsenal last season, but not this," he said. He praised Madueke, Eze and Gyökeres, and singled out young defender Cristhian Mosquera for an "outstanding" full debut at centre-back.

Arsenal have also started the season with a notable defensive statistic: they have yet to concede a goal from open play in the league. That form underlines the immediate impact of new arrivals and the ability of fringe players to step into prominent roles during a spell of injuries. Declan Rice, another high-profile summer signing, was named among the substitutes in the match, underscoring the depth available to Arteta's side.

The Gunners' injuries have been a recurring concern. Havertz faces weeks out with a knee problem, Saka has been sidelined since the 5-0 win over Leeds with a hamstring issue, Saliba suffered an ankle problem in the defeat at Liverpool, and Ødegaard has been hampered by a shoulder complaint that forced his early exit against Forest. Last season, injuries to influential players contributed to Arsenal's late-season decline as they finished second to Liverpool in the Premier League and were eliminated at the Champions League semi-final stage by Paris Saint-Germain.

With the new signings integrating quickly and producing results, Arteta hopes the squad will maintain momentum across a congested calendar. The immediate test comes in Spain, and how the manager manages rotation in the Champions League and the Premier League will offer further evidence of whether the club's summer outlay provides the resilience needed to sustain a title challenge.

For now, Arsenal's supporters and pundits have been buoyed by a convincing win and the performances of new recruits, with Madueke's electric display adding to early optimism about the impact of the club's heavy recruitment drive.