Forward Bukayo Saka's dazzling first-half strike set the tone for Arsenal's Premier League kick-off as the Gunners secured a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest in a captivating showdown at the Emirates Stadium.
The 21-year-old England international doubled Arsenal’s lead - after Eddie Nketiah's early opener - with a masterful curling shot from outside the box as the ball wet into the top-left corner of the Forest net, evading the grasp of former Gunners' keeper Matt Turner.
However, Mikel Arteta’s side had to weather a late surge from Forest, as substitute Taiwo Awoniyi managed to pull one back in the 83rd minute to make it 2-1.
A 30-minute delay due to an e-ticketing system glitch resulted in most fans still outside Emirates Stadium when the scheduled 12:30 BST kick-off time arrived.
Forest's chances were scarce until Awoniyi's late intervention breathed new life into the visitors, making for a gripping conclusion.
Nketiah had to play.
Following the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told BT Sport: "It's always difficult to win the first game of the season. We deserved to be in front but we didn't kill the game. And 2-0 in the Premier League is a dangerous scoreline and we had a lack of concentration, conceded a goal, and so it is game on.
"You cannot give teams anything and we gave them hope. Then the feeling is we want the game to end and take the three points.
"Eddie Nketiah was very disappointed he did not start [the Community Shield] against Manchester City but came on and had a huge impact, trained like a beast this week, telling me 'I have to play'. So I had to play him. A great example."
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