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Mikel Arteta admitted the return of captain Martin Odegaard was the spark which reignited Arsenal’s title charge.
Stunning strikes from Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey and a first Premier League goal for Ethan Nwaneri sank Nottingham Forest 3-0 and ended the Gunners’ four-match winless streak.
But it was the performance of Odegaard, on his first appearance at the Emirates since August after a two-month injury absence, which provided the platform for a comprehensive victory.
Arteta, celebrating his 250th match in charge of the club, said: “We talk about fluidity, understanding, chemistry, timing, he’s one of the best to do that; to manage the tempo of the game, when to slow it down, when to control it.
“It’s very difficult to do after five or six weeks out. It doesn’t surprise me because I’ve seen him every day, how he looks after himself, how much he wants it, the energy that he puts in and the courage that he has to play in any circumstances.
“Obviously, when he’s in the team, you can sense something that is different. It’s difficult to put a finger on it, but it’s different.
“Obviously he’s been missed. It’s good that we could sub him because he started to get tired and was fading a bit.
“Then Ethan comes on and ‘whoop’, it lifts the crowd. You can sense how much the crowd loves watching this kid play and the energy.”
Arsenal were already well in charge, through Saka’s fine run and shot and a piledriver from Partey, when Arteta sent on Nwaneri.
At 17 years and eight months old, he became Arsenal’s second-youngest Premier League goalscorer and the 10th-youngest in Premier League history, when he tucked in a cross from Raheem Sterling.
Gunners fans have been clamouring to see more of the exciting youngster, especially during Odegaard’s absence.
But Arteta warned: “I am responsible to build a career for him. You have to do that brick by brick.
“Today he put another brick on. Now we have to put more cement, make sure it doesn’t get dry so we can put another one and that will stick.
“Then we put one more layer, one more layer. If you want to put five in a row believe me it won’t work. We have to manage not only his expectation but his load as well, which is really important.”
Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo left top scorer Chris Wood on the bench for an hour, by which time the game was all but over.
“It was not a good performance,” he said. “We came up short in all aspects of the game. We have to put it right immediately.
“They killed the game with the second and third goals. It was a tough day for us.”
