Gary Neville thinks something is happening at Arsenal that wasn’t expected for ‘five to ten years’

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After watching the Gunners’ win over Nottingham Forest, Gary Neville thinks something has been accelerated in the Arsenal squad.

On matchday four, Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 in the Premier League thanks to goals from Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres.

Neville was hugely impressed with Zubimendi’s role in the victory, as the Spaniard netted two sensational goals to win his side the game.

It wasn’t only the midfielder that Neville passed comment on, as when analysing the victory, the pundit drew attention to what was happening in the wide areas.

• READ MORE: Gary Neville says Noni Madueke reminds him of player who scored over 200 career goals

Gary Neville didn’t expect Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli’s partnership to be dislodged so soon

For the first time, Mikel Arteta started a front three of Gyokeres, Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze.

Madueke filled in for Bukayo Saka on the right, while Eze took Gabriel Martinelli’s spot on the left side.

It was a real success for Arsenal as both players hugely impacted the contest, which prompted Neville to reveal how surprised he was to see the two new wingers being so influential.

Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, the Sky Sports pundit admitted that he didn’t expect to see wingers other than Saka and Martinelli dominate at Arsenal so soon. 

“Madueke, Eze, when you think about Martinelli and Saka, you thought they would dominate the left and right wing of Arsenal for the next five to ten years,” he said.

“Yet you’re watching two players yesterday, and obviously Saka will come back in, and Martinelli will play, but Madueke is a lot better than I imagined and thought he would be, and certainly a lot better than Arsenal fans thought he would be.”

Neville’s point of view carries weight, as after the 2022/23 season, no Arsenal fan would’ve envisaged that three campaigns later, Saka and Martinelli would be so tested in the squad.

That specific season, the pair combined for 45 goal contributions in the Premier League, but Martinelli’s dipping form called for change, with Eze providing just that. 

Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze are a breath of fresh air for Arsenal 

The case of Eze essentially closed just as it opened, with the 27-year-old clearly an upgrade on Martinelli.

It took Eze just 45 minutes to show he can be more impactful than Martinelli, locking down his claim to the left side.

For Madueke, the situation is more difficult, as Saka won’t be dropped from the starting XI purely because of competition.

Still, it’s a breath of fresh air for Arteta, and a dilemma that the Arsenal manager will welcome, having an array of top-quality attacking talent at his disposal.

Gone is the vast gap between the Gunners’ first and second-choice players, with Eze and Madueke implementing a new level of competition in the squad.