Published on 30 Oct 2022 7:39 pm (UK Time)
Despite Bukayo Saka picking up an injury, day two of Premier League matchweek 14 saw Arsenal return to the top of the Premier League after they thrashed Nottingham Forest at the Emirates.
This article will focus on the two games that took place on Sunday, October 30, however, feel free to take a look at part one for a breakdown of the first eight games of the weekend which included shock defeats for both Chelsea and Liverpool.
Premier League Matchweek 14 Roundup
Arsenal 5 – 0 Nottingham Forest
Although Bukayo Saka was forced off early in the first half through injury, Mikel Arteta will be delighted with his team’s performance in their 5-0 thrashing of Nottingham Forest.
With the Gunners failing to win either of their last two games in all competitions, and Forest beating Liverpool last weekend, there was potential for this game to really test the resolve of the Arsenal players. However, all talk of a potential slip-up was put to bed after just five minutes when Gabriel Martinelli headed home an excellent cross from Bukayo Saka. The free-flowing football from Arsenal continued but Steve Cooper’s men stood firm and the score remained 1-0 at halftime.
But the Gunners quickly put the result beyond doubt when Reiss Nelson, the player who replaced the injured Saka, scored two goals in the space of three minutes to put his side 3-0 up.
Thomas Partey added a fourth just five minutes later, in what was almost an exact replica of his superb goal in the North London derby earlier on in the season, and Martin Odegaard’s goal in the 78th minute sweetened the scoreline just that little bit more.
After their defeat against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Europa League midweek, this victory, which sees them reclaim the top spot in the Premier League, was vital to ensure that no domestic momentum had been lost. For Nottingham Forest though, their eighth defeat of the season means that they remain in last place, three points adrift of safety.
Read More: Premier League Matchweek 14 Roundup – Part 1
Manchester United 1 – 0 West Ham United
Marcus Rashford scored his 100th goal in a Manchester United shirt to secure the three points for the home side in what was a tough test for Erik Ten Hag’s men.
The Red Devils failed to control the game in the early stages, which allowed West Ham to slowly but surely grow into the game. Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen were finding space far too easy to come by on the flanks, but a lack of killer instinct in the final third meant that David de Gea was rarely called into action.
The game saw its first and only goal in the 38th minute when Rashford towered over the West Ham defenders to head home a teasing cross from Christian Eriksen to score his 100th goal for the club.
Ultimately, that goal would be enough to seal the win for United but had it not been for David de Gea’s heroics in the second half, that may have not been the case.
The Spaniard first made an excellent save from close range to deny Kurt Zouma before superbly saving a Declan Rice shot from distance to ensure his clean sheet was kept intact. Marcus Rashford will get the headlines, but David de Gea’s contributions in this game were equally admirable.
Manchester United have now won three of their last five Premier League games, remaining unbeaten during that time – a run of form which sees the Red Devils close the gap to the top four to just one point. For West Ham though, another game without a goal means that David Moyes’ side are now thirteenth in the league, just three points above the relegation zone.
