Brazilian teenager Gabriel Martinelli scored twice as Arsenal breezed into the last 16 of the Carabao Cup with a 5-0 win against Nottingham Forest.
The 18-year-old was making his first competitive start for the Gunners and opened the scoring with a powerful header.
Defender Rob Holding nodded in a second before Joe Willock struck.
Reiss Nelson side-footed in a fourth before Martinelli’s superb long-range effort completed the win.
Nottingham Forest, who like Arsenal made a raft of changes for the tie, barely troubled a rampant Arsenal with their only shot on target a late Sammy Ameobi strike that was comfortably saved by Emiliano Martinez.
Martinelli makes his mark
Few fans had heard of Martinelli when he became Arsenal’s first signing of the summer, joining for £6m from Brazilian club Ituano in July.
However, back in his homeland he is viewed as having the potential to become one of Brazil’s superstars and he certainly impressed on his home debut for the Gunners.
The teenager, who made his Premier League debut with a late substitute appearance against Newcastle in Arsenal’s season opener, played futsal as a youngster and the close control and dribbling skills developed from that sport were on show against Forest.
His first goal also showed good strength and awareness as he attacked an excellent first-time ball by Calum Chambers to power home a header.
That strike made him the youngest player to score on their first start for Arsenal since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain against Shrewsbury in September 2011.
But the best was yet to come. With the game deep into injury time, Martinelli received the ball 25 yards from goal, skipped one challenge before arrowing a wonderful strike into the top corner.
It is early days, but Martinelli showed plenty of potential to suggest he could become a hugely exciting talent for the Gunners.
Gunners get defensive boost
This was a fine display of attacking football from Arsenal but what will have been just as pleasing for their fans was the clean sheet.
Arsenal had conceded 10 goals in their last five Premier League fixtures and this game provided Unai Emery with the perfect opportunity to give some minutes to those returning from injury.
All eyes were on full-back Kieran Tierney as the £25m summer signing from Celtic made his debut after recovering from a groin problem, while centre-back Holding made his first start following 10 months out with a knee injury.
Holding’s goal will have gone a long way to helping him put recent injury woes behind him while Tierney put in a hugely impressive performance that saw him receive a standing ovation when he was substituted late on.
The defender caught the eye with his surging runs down the left flank, as well as providing a number of excellent crosses, and this display could make him a strong contender for the Premier League game against Manchester United on Monday.
Line-ups
Arsenal
Substitutes
Nottm Forest
Substitutes
Match Stats
Live Text
Match ends, Arsenal 5, Nottingham Forest 0.
Full Time
Second Half ends, Arsenal 5, Nottingham Forest 0.
Goal!
Goal! Arsenal 5, Nottingham Forest 0. Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Calum Chambers.
Booking
Jack Robinson (Nottingham Forest) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jack Robinson (Nottingham Forest).
Attempt missed. Matthew Cash (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Brennan Johnson.
Offside, Arsenal. Calum Chambers tries a through ball, but Reiss Nelson is caught offside.
Attempt saved. Calum Chambers (Arsenal) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Reiss Nelson.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel.
Goal!
Goal! Arsenal 4, Nottingham Forest 0. Reiss Nelson (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Calum Chambers with a cross.
Substitution
Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel replaces Joe Lolley because of an injury.
Attempt blocked. Dani Ceballos (Arsenal) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lucas Torreira.
Foul by Joe Willock (Arsenal).
Sammy Ameobi (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Joe Willock.
Substitution
Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Alex Mighten replaces Yuri Ribeiro.
Goal!
Goal! Arsenal 3, Nottingham Forest 0. Joe Willock (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Héctor Bellerín following a corner.
Attempt blocked. Héctor Bellerín (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Joe Lolley.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Héctor Bellerín replaces Kieran Tierney.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Matthew Cash.
Attempt saved. Sammy Ameobi (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt blocked. Joe Lolley (Nottingham Forest) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sammy Ameobi.
Goal!
Goal! Arsenal 2, Nottingham Forest 0. Rob Holding (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Reiss Nelson with a cross following a corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Dani Ceballos replaces Mesut Özil.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Jack Robinson.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Tobias Figueiredo.
Attempt missed. Joe Willock (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Bukayo Saka.
Attempt blocked. Reiss Nelson (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Bukayo Saka.
Foul by Lucas Torreira (Arsenal).
Sammy Ameobi (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Nottingham Forest. Sammy Ameobi replaces João Carvalho.
Foul by Joe Willock (Arsenal).
Tiago Silva (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Tiago Silva (Nottingham Forest) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Jack Robinson.
Booking
Reiss Nelson (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Reiss Nelson (Arsenal).
Jack Robinson (Nottingham Forest) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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