
<p>Arsenal crushed <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/sheffield-united-tv-schedule-for-us-viewers/">Sheffield United</a> on Saturday by a scoreline of 5-0. The Gunners were fueled in the match by a hat trick from center forward Eddie Nketiah. It was the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/nations/england-national-team-tv-schedule/">England</a> international’s second ever three-goal game for the club and first in <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/premier-league-tv-schedule/">Premier League</a> play.</p>



<p>The Gunners started the match with multiple changes to their team compared to a midweek matchup with <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/sevilla-tv-schedule-for-us-viewers/">Sevilla</a>. Star striker Gabriel Jesus was completely left out of the squad due to a <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/arsenal-duo-jesus-and-partey-again-suffer-injury-setbacks-20231027-WST-465339.html">muscle injury</a>. Manager Mikel Arteta also placed Martin Odegaard, Gabriel, Jorginho, and Takehiro Tomiyasu on the bench. In their places, Emile Smith Rowe, Jakub Kiwior, Kai Havertz, and Oleksandr Zinchenko earned starting spots for the club.</p>



<p>The hosts started the match, quite predictably, on the front foot. Despite the changed lineup, Arsenal dominated possession and played some slick passes in the early stages of the game. While the Gunners looked solid early, they couldn’t quite break down Sheffield United’s defense. In fact, the only shot recorded by the hosts in the opening 20 minutes of the match was blocked before it could reach Wes Foderingham in goal.</p>



<h2>Nketiah grabs opening goal to get Arsenal going en-route to hat trick</h2>



<p>Nevertheless, Nketiah finally put Arsenal ahead in the 28th minute after a glorious touch and finish beyond the goalkeeper. Declan Rice picked up an assist for the goal by sending a low cross into the box towards his teammate. Nketiah collected the ball, neatly bypassed a Blades defender, and slotted a shot easily by a diving Foderingham. It was the first attempt on target in the match by either side.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Excellent skill and finishing from Eddie Nketiah!<br><br>📺 <a href="https://twitter.com/USANetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USANetwork</a> <a href="https://t.co/sB2ltdI9XF">pic.twitter.com/sB2ltdI9XF</a></p>— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1718274265416597855?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>Arsenal continued to pour the pressure on the visitors in the latter stages of the opening period.  Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe both had solid chances to add to their club’s lead, but neither could send a shot by Foderingham. As a result, the Gunners entered the halftime break with just a one-goal lead.</p>



<h2>Striker completes hat trick with two second-half scores</h2>



<p>Nevertheless, it took less than five minutes for Nketiah to double Arsenal’s lead in the second half. Foderingham essentially fumbled a deep cross into his box from a corner kick. The ball then fell straight to the scorer from just a few yards away from goal. Nketiah emphatically placed a powerful shot into the top far corner of the net. There was a relatively short VAR review for a possible infraction by Ben White, but the goal was ultimately rightly allowed.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="670" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20231028_WST_465545_heck-1200x670.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=670" alt="" class="wp-image-465623" srcset="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/10/heck-1200x670.jpg 1200w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/10/heck-300x168.jpg 300w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/10/heck-768x429.jpg 768w, https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/10/heck.jpg 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Paul Heckingbottom is facing an incredibly bleak future as Sheffield United manager</figcaption></figure>



<p>Nketiah then completed his hat trick in the 58th minute with an absolutely stunning strike from distance. Smith Rowe found the striker in a little bit of space just outside of the Sheffield box. The England international collected the ball, turned slightly, and sent an incredible shot into the back of the net. Foderingham made an attempt to save the shot, but the ball was perfectly placed.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Eddie Nketiah&apos;s got his first Premier League hat trick! 🔥<br><br>📺 <a href="https://twitter.com/USANetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USANetwork</a> <a href="https://t.co/UqxQ1gjIVt">pic.twitter.com/UqxQ1gjIVt</a></p>— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1718286504408006846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h2>Substitutes add finishing touches on Arsenal’s victory</h2>



<p>The hosts were then awarded a penalty kick with just a few minutes remaining on the clock. Despite the decision not initially being given on the pitch, replays showed substitute Fabio Vieira was taken down inside the box by Oliver Norwood. Although Nketiah grabbed the ball to seemingly take the spot kick, he eventually gave the ball to Vieira. The Portuguese playmaker stepped up and simply slotted a shot by Foderingham.</p>



<p>Tomiyasu finished things off for the hosts with a goal six minutes into added time. The defender latched onto a loose ball inside Sheffield’s box from a corner kick. It was the Japanese full back’s first ever goal for the club in his 50th Premier League appearance.</p>



<p>The win takes the Gunners up to second in the t<a href="https://www.premierleague.com/tables" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">op flight table</a> for the moment. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/manchester-city-tv-schedule/">Manchester City</a> could eventually jump their rivals with a win by at least four goals on Sunday. Sheffield United, on the other hand, remain bottom of the league with just one point so far this season.</p>



<p>Photo credits: IMAGO / PA Images : IMAGO / Pro Sports Images</p>


Nketiah nets first EPL hat trick as Arsenal thumps Sheffield Utd

Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah scored his first ever Premier League hat trick during a 5-0 demolition of Sheffield United


<p>Arsenal started their 2023/24 <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/premier-league-tv-schedule/">Premier League</a> campaign with a home win against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The hosts dominated the travelers for much of the match, but held on to a narrow 2-1 victory in the end. Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka scored the goals for the Gunners inside the first half.</p>



<p>Saturday’s kickoff was delayed by about 30 minutes due to an issue with the e-ticketing system at Emirates Stadium. Thousands of fans had to wait outside of the arena until the issue was fixed. The extra time appeared to have slowed play at the start of the match. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/arsenal-tv-schedule/">Arsenal</a> had plenty of possession, but couldn’t quite create much going forward in the opening 20 minutes.</p>



<h2>Gunners score twice in six minutes after slow start</h2>



<p>Forest forward Brennan Johnson had the best scoring opportunity during this timeframe. The striker found himself one-on-one in acres of space with Gunners goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale. However, Johnson fired his shot wildly high and wide to scupper the golden opportunity. It turned out to be the only shot taken in the first half for the visitors.</p>



<p>While Arsenal may have started a bit slow in attack, they finally got on the scoreboard in the 26th minute. Gabriel Martinelli helped create the goal with excellent work down the left flank. The Brazilian was able to beat two defenders with a pirouette and back-heel pass to Nketiah. The striker collected the ball and sent a shot passed former teammate Matt Turner.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BRILLIANT skill from Gabriel Martinelli to set up Eddie Nketiah’s goal! 🤩 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AFC</a><br><br>📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/peacock?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@peacock</a> <a href="https://t.co/khwmysZmOY">pic.twitter.com/khwmysZmOY</a></p>— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1690342343096893440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>Arsenal doubled their lead six minutes later with a brilliant finish by Saka. The winger picked up the ball, cut back towards the middle of the pitch, and sent a rocket into the far top corner of the net from outside of the box. Although Turner made an attempt to block the shot, the American couldn’t get anywhere near the ball.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There&apos;s nothing like a BANGER from Bukayo Saka! 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/OFv20KvXjV">pic.twitter.com/OFv20KvXjV</a></p>— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSportsSoccer/status/1690360086353301504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2023</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h2>Forest make it interesting late in game</h2>



<p>The opening 20 minutes or so of the second half were much like the early stages of the first period.</p>



<p>Arsenal dominated possession, but couldn’t quite add to their lead. In a piece of bad news for the home crowd, Jurrien Timber had to be substituted after just a few minutes into the half. The defender went down untouched with an apparent <a href="https://www.football.london/arsenal-fc/transfer-news/breaking-arsenal-injury-timber-forest-27509143" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">leg injury.</a> He was previously booked just before halftime after a heavy challenge on a Forest attacker.</p>



<p>However, the visitors grabbed a goal back in the 82nd minute thanks to a goal by Taiwo Awoniyi. The striker was picked out just in front of Ramsdale by fellow substitute Anthony Elanga. The former <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/manchester-united-tv-schedule/">Manchester United</a> winger made a long run down the left flank and then sent a low cross towards his teammate inside of the box.</p>



<p>Forest’s goal certainly put the pressure on the hosts for the remaining moments of the match. Nevertheless, the Gunners would hang on for the victory. Arsenal will next travel south to face Crystal Palace, while Forest host Sheffield United.</p>



<p>Photo credit: IMAGO / PA Images</p>


Arsenal edge Forest thanks to stellar first-half display

Goals from Nketiah and Saka gave Arsenal an opening-day victory over Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium

ALL POSTS TAGGED "Eddie Nketiah"

Arsenal

Nketiah nets first EPL hat trick as Arsenal thumps Sheffield Utd

Arsenal

Arsenal edge Forest thanks to stellar first-half display