Arsenal vs. Nottingham Forest score: Eddie Nketiah, Bukayo Saka fire Gunners to nervy win on opening weekend

LONDON — Arsenal began their new Premier League season with a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest but found their passage to three points altogether more challenging than it might have been following an error-strewn first half in which they threatened to fritter away a two-goal lead.

After a 30-minute delay to kickoff caused by new technology at the Emirates Stadium turnstiles, Arsenal started a little heavy-legged and were momentarily caught off guard when Brennan Johnson broke through their defensive line. The Forest forward bent his effort high and wide, however, and from that moment on it was one-way traffic.

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Eddie Nketiah broke the deadlock in the 26th minute, drilling past former teammate Matt Turner after Gabriel Martinelli’s impudent pirouette pass had teed him up. Soon after Bukayo Saka put Mikel Arteta’s side in cruise control, cutting in from the left and bending a shot into the far post.

That really ought to have been that for Arsenal but the Gunners were far too comfortable in second gear during a second half where they lost Jurrien Timber to injury and allowed their attack to devolve into attempts to manufacture a debut goal for Declan Rice. Substitutes Anthony Elanga and Taiwo Awoniyi punished their hosts on the counter, the former fizzing down the left off an Arsenal corner before crossing for last season’s top scorer to bundle in at the near post. In truth, most of the opportunities that followed the 78th-minute strike for the visitors came Arsenal’s way but the three points they acquired did not come as easily as Arteta might have expected.