Zubimendi's Clinical Brace Exposes Forest's Fragility in Emirates Rout

Moyen Score Futmetrix: 45/100. Arsenal's attacking precision overwhelmed a toothless Forest, but the lack of resistance made this a one-sided procedural rather than a compelling contest.

When Dominance Becomes Routine

From the 32nd minute onwards, this was Arsenal's coronation of control. Martín Zubimendi struck first—a poacher's finish that set the tone for what would become a relentless Intensity of attacking pressure. By halftime, the Balance had already tilted irreversibly. Arsenal's 16-shot barrage versus Forest's five told the story: a 3.2-to-1 shot dominance that transformed the Emirates into a shooting gallery. The Stakes were high for both sides—Arsenal chasing title credentials from second place, Forest fighting to escape the relegation morass at 15th—yet only one team showed up with answers.

Zubimendi's second goal in the 79th minute, assisted by Leandro Trossard off the bench, was the final punctuation mark. Viktor Gyokeres had already made it 2-0 at the stroke of halftime, courtesy of Eberechi Eze's assist. The midfielder's two-goal, one-key-pass performance (9.3 rating) was clinical—but it was almost too easy. Noni Madueke orchestrated the chaos from the wing with five key passes, yet Forest's defense was so porous that even routine Arsenal moves felt like breakthroughs.

The corner pressure narrative—11 set pieces for Arsenal—should have spelled danger. Instead, it underscored the gulf in quality. Forest's xG of 0.20 versus Arsenal's 1.84 was damning evidence of a team utterly outclassed. Only one shot on target for the visitors across 90 minutes. That's not resilience; that's surrender.

Trossard's substitute appearance (79th minute) yielded an assist—a reminder that even Arsenal's bench depth exposed Forest's frailties. The Upset factor? Non-existent. Arsenal's position at second, Forest's at 15th, made this a mismatch on paper and on the pitch.