Saka, Nwaneri on Target as Arsenal Return to Winning Ways

*Iwobi scores consolation goal as Fulham crash 1-4 to struggling Wolves

Duro Ikhazuagbe with agency report

Two players with Nigerian ancestry, Bukayo Saka and Ethan Nwaneri got Arsenal title challenge back on track by beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 to secure a first win in five Premier League matches.

Two other Super Eagles players, Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina were in action for the visitors who lost all three points at the Emirates to the Gunners.

Arsenal’s form dipped in recent weeks amid a tough fixture schedule and a number of injuries, which meant Mikel Arteta’s side were nine points behind leaders Liverpool before kick-off on Saturday.

Arsenal dominated from the outset at Emirates Stadium and Bukayo Saka gave them the lead after 15 minutes, exchanging passes with Martin Odegaard before beating two defenders and slamming a strike into the top corner.

Ghanaian Thomas Partey, who came on as a half-time substitute, doubled the hosts’ lead when he curled in from 20 yards, before youngster Nwaneri added a third late on to secure the win.

Forest have been the surprise package of the season so far and came into this match with the same number of points (19) as the Gunners.

However, they struggled to get a foothold in the game and failed to muster a shot on target – with tame headers from Ryan Yates and Nicolas Dominguez their best opportunities.

Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber thought he had put the hosts in front when he tapped in from close range before Saka’s opener, but Mikel Merino was offside in the build-up.

This match was Arteta’s 250th in charge of Arsenal in all competitions – and he will hope victory sparks a run of form that will help his side close the gap on their rivals at the top.

Elsewhere, Alex Iwobi scored his third Premier League goal of the season yesterday, but it proved to be a scant consolation for home team Fulham after they eventually fell 4-1 to struggling Wolves.

Iwobi opened scoring in the 20th minute for the London club.

But this proved to be the tonic the visitors needed as they fought back to draw level in the first half, before they scored three more goals after the break.

Fellow Super Eagles star Calvin Bassey played the entire game and was booked in first half stoppage time.

Fulham remain ninth on the table with 18 points from 12 matches, while Wolves climbed out of the relegation zone with nine points.

At Etihad, James Maddison scored twice as Tottenham romped to a 4-0 victory over a Manchester City side that has now lost five games in a row for the first time since 2006.

Pedro Porro drove home a third before Brennan Johnson added a last minute fourth on an incredible night that saw the end of City’s 52-match unbeaten record at Etihad Stadium, stretching back to just before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

It is City’s worst home league defeat since a 5-1 loss to Tottenham’s north London rivals Arsenal in 2003.

It was also the first time they have lost three successive Premier League games under Pep Guardiola, who signed a two-year contract extension 48 hours earlier.

Guardiola had never previously lost a home game by four goals in his managerial career.