Arsenal revived their title challenge with a dominant 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, securing their first Premier League win in five matches.

The Gunners had seen their form slip in recent weeks due to a challenging fixture list and several injuries, leaving them nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool before Saturday’s match.

Arsenal took control from the start at the Emirates Stadium, with Bukayo Saka opening the scoring in the 15th minute. He combined with Martin Ødegaard before weaving past two defenders and firing a powerful shot into the top corner.

Thomas Partey, who came on at halftime, doubled the lead with a curling shot from 20 yards, and teenager Ethan Nwaneri sealed the win with a late third.

Forest, who have been one of the season’s surprises, came into the match level on points with Arsenal (19), but struggled to make an impact. Their best chances came from weak headers by Ryan Yates and Nicolás Domínguez.

Arsenal thought they had taken the lead earlier when Jurrien Timber scored from close range, but the goal was ruled out for offside following a pass from Mikel Merino.

This match marked Mikel Arteta’s 250th in charge of Arsenal across all competitions, and he will hope this victory sparks a run of form to close the gap on the league leaders.