Your team has hit a creative rut that coincided with the absence of your primary playmaker? Get him back and all your problems evaporate. So yes, the semi-frequent leaden-footed attacking, sterile possession and clumsy decision-making that reared its unfamiliar head at Arsenal over the last two months was nothing more than a team unable to cope without Martin Odegaard.

The rain was lashing down at the Emirates Stadium but, with Martin Odegaard back, Arsenal’s world suddenly feels a lot brighter. Much has been made about how badly Arsenal have missed Odegaard over the past few months and this was clear evidence of why ...

Martin Odegaard was back to his brilliant best as the free-flowing Gunners skipper helped inspire Mikel Arteta's side to a comfortable victory over high-flying Forest

While Martin Odegaard is fit, Arsenal will feel they still have hope in this season’s Premier League title race. It may have been Bukayo Saka, substitute Thomas Partey and teenager Ethan Nwaneri who netted the goals that secured a first League win in five games for the Gunners.

Their first game back after the September international break was the north London derby against Tottenham. In his pre-match press conference, Arteta refused to rule his captain out entirely, saying simply, “Players with 48 hours to go are always available, but let’s see what happens.”