Postecoglou’s Forest loses 3-0 at Arsenal and Woltemade scores winner on Newcastle debut

Ange Postecoglou got a harsh reintroduction to the Premier League on Saturday. Nick Woltemade’s first taste of English soccer couldn’t have been sweeter.

A trip to Arsenal, a top title contender, was among the hardest possible starts for Postecoglou following his hiring by Nottingham Forest this week and the former Tottenham manager saw his new team get brushed aside 3-0 at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal’s new signings did the damage, with defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi scoring twice and Viktor Gyokeres — a prolific striker expected to transform the team’s fortunes — delivering exactly what is expected of him with a close-range finish. It was a third win in four matches for Arsenal.

It was also a day when a slew of the Premier League’s late-summer signings made their debuts and one of the them was Woltemade, who headed home Newcastle’s goal in a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton.

Woltemade is a lanky Germany international who joined Newcastle for a reported club-record fee of 69 million pounds ($93 million) to replace Alexander Isak. The 6-foot-6 (1.98 meters) striker became an immediate favorite at St. James’ Park by leaping at the far post to plant home a powerful header.

Chelsea missed a chance to return to the top of the league — at least until Sunday — after conceding in the third minute of stoppage time to draw 2-2 at Brentford.

In another London derby, Tottenham benefitted from the second-half sending-off of Tomas Soucek to win 3-0 at West Ham and join Arsenal on nine points along with Bournemouth, whose in-form winger Antoine Semenyo converted a penalty to seal a 2-1 win over Brighton. Defending champion Liverpool also has nine points and plays Burnley away on Sunday in its game in hand.

Fulham was gifted an own-goal in stoppage time to beat Leeds 1-0, Aston Villa was still without a goal this season after a 0-0 draw at Everton, and Crystal Palace and Sunderland also played out a goalless draw.

Arsenal depth

Arsenal — fresh off a summer spending spree of around $350 million — flexed its strength in depth against Forest, easing to victory despite manager Mikel Arteta being without star players Bukayo Saka and William Saliba because of injuries, starting with Declan Rice on the bench and seeing captain Martin Odegaard go off in the 18th minute with a shoulder injury.

Zubimendi, the Spain midfielder recruited from Real Sociedad, volleyed home spectacularly from the edge of the area in the 32nd minute to put Arsenal in front before Gyokeres tapped in a cross from Eberechi Eze — another summer signing — to double the lead inside the opening minute of the second half.

Zubimendi headed in the third in the 79th minute to complete a miserable return to English soccer for Postecoglou, the former Tottenham manager who was hired by Forest on Tuesday as a replacement for the fired Nuno Espírito Santo.

“This week, it’s fair to say, was fairly disruptive for the players,” said Postecoglou, who was fired by Spurs in June despite leading the team to the Europa League title and securing qualification to the Champions League. “International week as well, so they didn’t get in until Thursday, Friday — they see a new manager and I’m trying to implement new things.”

Arsenal has yet to concede a goal from open play this season.

Palmer impact

Palmer needed just five minutes to make an impact on his return for Chelsea after missing its last two matches, as well as England’s World Cup qualifiers, with a groin injury.

The playmaker entered as a 56th-minute substitute and then stroked home Chelsea’s equalizer at Brentford with a calm finish into the bottom corner.

Caicedo lashed in a shot from the edge of the area in the 85th to put Chelsea 2-1 ahead but there was still time for substitute Fabio Carvalho to get on the end of flick-on from a long throw and earn Brentford a point. Kevin Schade’s goal in the 35th put the hosts ahead.

Soucek red

Tottenham was already leading 1-0 thanks to Pape Sarr’s header at a corner when Soucek lunged into a challenge with Joao Palhinha in the 54th minute and mistimed it, raking his studs down the leg of his fellow midfielder.

Soucek was shown a straight red card and West Ham couldn’t handle Spurs after that. Lucas Bergvall looped home a header in the 57th and Micky van de Ven swept in a third in the 64th.

Appointed in the offseason, Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has started his tenure well with three wins from four — including one at Manchester City.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer