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.

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.

Arsenal: Magic Martin Odegaard lifts mood to reignite title belief - Influential captain delivers an inspired display against Nottingham Forest to show the Gunners just what they’ve been missing

Manchester City's calamitous spell continued with a shocking 4-0 rout by Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, while Arsenal returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a confident 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal return to winning ways by easing past Nottingham Forest - Mikel Arteta was able to celebrate a much-needed victory in his 250th match in charge of the Gunners.