Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi has only been at the Emirates for a few months, but he has already achieved something that he never managed to do with Real Sociedad or Spain.
Arsenal signed Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad for around £60million in July, and he has had a bright start to life with the Gunners.
The Spain international has played the full 90 minutes in each of Arsenal’s four Premier League games so far, helping Mikel Arteta’s side to three wins.
And on Saturday, Zubimendi was in rampant form against Nottingham Forest, whose decision to appoint former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou may have already backfired.
Martin Zubimendi scores first ever career brace
Zubimendi put Arsenal ahead with a brilliant 20-yard volley in the 32nd minute of the game at the Emirates Stadium.
Viktor Gyokeres then doubled Arsenal’s advantage just 46 seconds into the second half before Zubimendi headed home his second goal in the 79th minute.
Zubimendi had never scored a brace before in his professional career, so his two-goal haul against the City Ground side was a first for him.
Popular pundit Peter Crouch certainly loved what he saw from Zubimendi.
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How Martin Zubimendi fared against Nottingham Forest
Aside from his brace, Zubimendi delivered an overall solid display against the Nottingham side.
| Statistic | Number |
| Minutes played | 90′ |
| Goals | 2 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.2 |
| Touches | 48 |
| Accurate passes | 37/43 (86%) |
| Key passes | 1 |
| Long balls (accurate) | 5 (2) |
| Shots on target | 2 |
| Shots off target | 1 |
| Aerial duels (won) | 3 (1) |
He completed 37 of his 43 passes on the day, including one key pass, and also delivered two long balls, weighed in with a third effort, and won one aerial duel.
When Arteta shelled out £60million for Zubimendi, he was hoping to get a metronome on the pitch with great technique.
Not only has he got that, but he has also bagged himself a player who is more than capable of chipping in with crucial goals.
Arsenal should be a force to be reckoned with this season, and Zubimendi is bound to play a big part in this.
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