Arsenal returned to winning ways over the weekend as they registered a huge victory over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
A Martin Zubimendi brace and a Viktor Gyokeres goal handed all three points to the Gunners, as they bounced back from defeat in the previous encounter.
In the end, Arsenal’s win over Nottingham Forest was completed in fine fashion, but there were some other nervous moments.
While the goal scorers will get the plaudits for the important moments they provided, the victory wasn’t just down to them.
At the other end, one Arsenal star prevented the game from being a lot closer than it needed to be, with some important interventions.
Jurrien Timber played a crucial role for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest
While goals were flowing at one end, Arsenal had to work hard to stop them from going in at the other.
Under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners have become particularly proficient defensively, becoming well-known for their ability to keep it tight at the back.
Plenty of that is down to the structure given by the Arsenal boss, but the rest is down to the individuals making the right decisions at the right time.
Nobody epitomises that more than Jurrien Timber.
The defender was impressive yet again in Arsenal’s win over Nottingham Forest, making a few vital interceptions.
One came on the brink of half-time, as it was still just 1-0 to the Gunners, as he slid in to deny Morgan Gibbs-White a clear shot at goal.
In the second half, as chaos broke loose in the box, the Dutchman was the calming presence that denied a goal for Nottingham Forest, winning his duels when required.
Even though Forest only registered 0.18 xG, a lot of that was due to the preventative measures taken by the defender to stop the shot in the first place.
At times, it’s easy to forget that Timber cost Arsenal just £38 million from Ajax, with his defensive work coming closer to some of the more expensive signings in the world.
However, his performances prove that he will be another important part of the team again this season.
Jurrien Timber’s fitness will be crucial to Arsenal’s season
The Arsenal squad is now well equipped for the season ahead, one that is set to be attritional as the games come thick and fast.
The injury list is already proving that, as Martin Odegaard’s shoulder issue is the latest to join a group of absent players, which includes the likes of Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka.
While Arsenal have coped well so far, the fitness of Timber could be crucial in the upcoming months of the campaign.
The defender struggled with an ankle injury at the end of last season, which saw him miss a chunk of matches.
His return to action has come with fine performances, and while there are options to replace him in Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera, they may not be able to hit the same heights as Timber.
He must stay fit, but that may be down to how Arteta uses him, and whether he decides to rotate in some matches going forward.
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