“For some reason Forest fans were booing him” - Ian Wright hits out at rival fans for targeting Arsenal star
Arsenal legend Ian Wright expressed his delight at Bukayo Saka's goal against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday (January 30) after the winger was booed by the opposition fans.
The Gunners secured a 2-1 win at the City Ground in the Premier League on Tuesday. Despite creating a host of chances, they failed to score in the first half. However, a lapse in Nottingham's defense allowed Gabriel Jesus in, who scored past Matt Turner in the 65th minute.
Saka then scored the second for the visitors in the 72nd minute after another poor concession of the possession by the Tricky Trees. The hosts found a goal back in the 89th minute via Taiwo Awoniyi but it ended up being merely a consolation.
During the game, Nottingham fans started booing Saka in the second half. It came after referee Simon Hooper stopped the game after the Englishman was down injured with the hosts in possession. However, he hadn't done the same when Gonzalo Montiel had gone down in the first half with Arsenal in possession.
Regardless, after the game, Wright spoke about Saka's goal and him getting booed and said (via Metro):
"I was quite pleased with this [Saka’s goal] because for some reason Forest fans were booing him.
"So I was quite pleased. Poor play from Forest again. Between the goalkeeper [Matt Turner] and some of the mistakes they make, they kind of hand it to teams."
With the win, Saka extended his tally to 10 goals and 13 assists in 29 games across competitions for Arsenal this season.
Mikel Arteta reflects on Arsenal's win over Nottingham
The Gunners put in a dominant display at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday. They had 74% possession and had 19 attempts on goal, with three being on target as compared to the hosts' 3/9 shots on target.
The game also came with its history as Arsenal lost 1-0 in this fixture last season. It confirmed their Premier League title defeat against Manchester City and also Nottingham's survival in the top flight.
Hence, Arteta was pleased with his side's win on Tuesday and said (via Metro):
"I’m really happy with the performance and the result. What happened last year [defeat handing the Premier League title to Man City] was still in our tummy.
"The performance was good, we had to be patient, we were able to generate chances in various ways which is pleasing. We conceded a goal and then you had to suffer."
Arsenal are now second in the league standings, two points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand. The two sides are set to face off at the Emirates on Sunday, February 4.