Arsenal winger Reiss Nelson has labelled the 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest as "one of the best days" of his career after he came off the bench to score two goals for the Gunners to help them retain their spot at the top of the Premier League table.
Prior to the game against the league's bottom side, Nelson, 22, had failed to make a Premier League appearance after returning from his loan spell with Dutch side Feyenoord. The fixture against Forest was his first since making a 19-minute cameo in last season's infamous 2-0 defeat to Brentford in August.
Nelson replaced Bukayo Saka after 27 minutes in north London after the England international was on the receiving end of a couple of tough challenges. After a quiet first half, Nelson repaid Mikel Arteta's faith in him with two well-taken goals in the space of three second half minutes.
READ MORE: What Mikel Arteta did as Reiss Nelson stunned the Arsenal fans in Nottingham Forest victory
The game could very well be a marker for Nelson to really make a name for himself this season. The Gunners have struggled with numerous injury and fitness concerns this season, yet find themselves in an early season title charge after winning 10 of their 12 league games.
With Emile Smith-Rowe already absent due to injury, Nelson is now second only to Saka and Gabriel Martinelli ahead of a hectic post-World Cup schedule. Arsenal are to compete in four competitions in 2023 and rotation will be key if success is to be brought back to the Emirates Stadium.
After the game, Nelson revealed his excitement of bagging his fifth and sixth goals for the club and applauded his teammates for their support. Speaking to the BBC, he said: "I thought I was just going to sit on the bench! But you never know what happens in football. Probably one of the best days and I'm delighted for it.
"When B [Bukayo Saka] went down, it was a terrible sight to see but when I came on I loved every minute of it. The gaffer wants us to implement an attacking style of play and that's what we did.
"It's a great bunch of lads and I have been here since I was eight. I have always dreamed of being part of a great Arsenal team. This is a great team."
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