Arsenal and Nottingham Forest saw their Premier League opener pushed back by half an hour on Saturday afternoon. Agitated supporters were left stranded outside the Emirates Stadium, with ticket and turnstile issues wreaking havoc ahead of the hotly-anticipated match-up.
Gunners fans will have been chomping at the bit to see their team in competitive action after going so close to the Premier League title last campaign. Mikel Arteta’s side held a healthy lead for much of the season, but Manchester City ultimately fought back to win by five points.
The Sky Blues got their title defence off to the perfect start on Friday night by beating Burnley 3-0 at Turf Moor. Arsenal hoped to respond in emphatic fashion at home to the Tricky Trees, with Arteta’s men assigned the early kick-off on Saturday.
However, the Gunners’ preparation was interrupted by issues outside the ground, with stagnant queues forcing a 30-minute delay to the match.
Arsenal move to a full e-ticketing system ahead of the fixture and it is believed to have crashed at the worst possible time. A statement released by the club on Twitter read: “This afternoon’s game with Nottingham Forest will now kick off at 1pm (UK), due to a delay at the turnstiles.”
Arteta’s side will fancy their chances of taking all three points against Forest, who avoided relegation by just four points in 2022/23. The Londoners come into the match off the back of a morale-boosting win over City in last weekend’s Community Shield.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for him to become No 1 and establish himself in the Premier League,” Rio Ferdinand told TNT Sports. “One thing he can guarantee in this Forest team is that he will get an opportunity to prove himself.
“If last season is anything to go by, there will be shots raining in on goal and plenty of chances to make saves. He’s from good stock and hopefully he can be someone who turns up and produces the goods for Nottingham Forest.”