In a thrilling match at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal edged past a resilient Nottingham Forest side 2-1 in the English Premier League. Arsenal started the season off strong, much to the delight of their fans.

Arsenal's new signing, Edward Nketiah, broke the deadlock at the 26th minute. The goal was set up by an intricate assist from Gabriel Martinelli that found Nketiah in the centre of the box, finishing it off neatly to the bottom left corner.

Later, Bukayo Saka doubled Arsenal's lead with a spectacular goal from outside the box at the 32nd minute. William Saliba provided an assist for the goal, contributing to the offensive pressure of Arsenal in the first half. At halftime, the Gunners looked comfortable at 2 goals ahead with not much threat from their competitors.

However, Nottingham Forest came back strong in the second half and started challenging Arsenal's defense with better ball possession. The tide began to turn when Arsenal's Jurrien Timber was replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu due to an injury at the 50th minute. The shift in momentum became evident at the 82nd minute when Nottingham Forest's Taiwo Awoniyi, assisted by Anthony Elanga, found the back of the net during a fast break, changing the scoreline to 2-1. Thereafter, Arsenal struggled to regain their dominance as Forest started to apply more and more pressure.

Despite Nottingham Forest's increased aggression, Arsenal managed to hold their lines and saw the game off at 2-1. After the game, many fans took to social media to express their concern about Arsenal's tendency to lose their grip on games they've been dominating. While this was a common sentiment, many others were keen to highlight the improved depth and quality Arsenal showcased in their roster with effective substitutions.

The match thread cleverly pointed out how a 2-0 lead somehow seems to be Arsenal's kryptonite, calling upon the team to find a way to transition from 1-0 to 3-0 directly. This seems to be a crucial point for Arsenal to work on, as many fans echoed the same.

On the other hand, Nottingham Forest fans were highly impressed with their team's performance despite the defeat, particularly applauding Elanga and Awoniyi's inspiring gameplay. One comment suggested that the duo's introduction to the game drastically changed its dynamics, making it a lot more exciting. Forest fans were also positive about their defensive resilience and believe that they have what it takes to avoid relegation.

Arsenal's next match will be an away game against Crystal Palace on 21st August, while Nottingham Forest will be hosting Sheffield United on the 18th. After a nerve-wracking opener, it will be interesting to see how both teams approach their upcoming fixtures.