Arsenal are back to home comforts as they aim to bounce back from a difficult run, with the Emirates hosting a flying Nottingham Forest side.
It feels like a long time ago that Arsenal won a Premier League game, or rather any match in all competitions as they get set to host the high-flying Nottingham Forest at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners are winless in their last four league games, with the last victory coming on home soil against Southampton. The dropped points against Bournemouth, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Chelsea have seen them fall behind in the title race by nine points.
The points gap with leaders Liverpool is a source of worry, although there is enough time left in the season to recover and kick on with the title race. It is a difficult proposition at this moment from a fan’s perspective but still doable from Arteta’s point of view.
Arsenal now hosts Nottingham Forest at the Emirates; as many fans would attest, it feels like an eternity since they last played at home. Arteta will not look at this game as a must-win, not in the context of the title race, but to galvanise his players and the feeling around the club that it can still challenge for honours this season.
Nuno Espirito Santo will want another big scalp to show for this season as he takes his Nottingham Forest side to the Emirates. The Midlands club have already won away at Liverpool this term, and it would not be over-ambitious to think they can do the same in North London.
However, they are facing a somewhat wounded Arsenal side, which will require strong performance from Forest players. They are coming at the back of a disappointing defeat at the hands of Newcastle United at home, which ended their run of three consecutive victories in the Premier League.
A first-half opener from defender Murillo felt like another game where Forest would display their defensive ability to frustrate the opponents. However, Newcastle had other plans as the Magpies came flying in the second half, and goals from Alexander Isak, Joelinton, and Harvey Barnes sealed the three points. Heading to the Emirates, Forest are level on points with Arsenal, as a win would take them above their hosts.
Team News & Tactics
Arsenal
There is a lot of speculation surrounding the fitness of many key Arsenal stars ahead of the Nottingham Forest clash owing to a host of players staying back during the international break. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice are two of the key figures who withdrew from the England setup with injuries sustained during the Chelsea game.
There is a wider expectation the duo will be fit. At the same time, Martin Odegaard will also start alongside Thomas Partey in the midfield, as the duo also stayed back at Arsenal during the international break. Leandro Trossard did suffer an injury playing for Belgium, although there is no definitive news about his fitness just yet.
During the international break, Ben White underwent a minor knee operation, which will reportedly keep him sidelined for around two months. It is a big blow for Arteta, although he will bank on some returnees, as the likes of Takehiro Tomiyasu and Riccardo Calafiori are inching closer to full fitness alongside Kieran Tierney. Still, the trio are not expected to face Forest.
Hence, Arteta has a choice ahead of Saturday: to either use Partey in that right-back role, which could see Timber play on the left-hand side, or use Jakub Kiwior or Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back. The use of Partey in defence will also depend on Rice’s availability. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli will complete the attacking setup for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Partey, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Odegaard, Rice, Merino; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Nottingham Forest
In contrast to Arsenal, Nottingham Forest have minimal problems heading into this clash, as only long-term absentees Ibrahim Sangare and Danilo are missing from the action. There is some doubt about Elliot Anderson ahead of this trip, meaning should the former Newcastle United star miss out on the teamsheet, Nicolas Dominguez is widely expected to replace him there and partner up with Ryan Yates in those midfield roles.
Nuno Espirito Santo will undertake a few assessments of his players, such as key striker Chris Wood, after his long trip to the Far East, and while the New Zealand international is not expected to miss, Taiwo Awoniyi will be fired up to replace him and continue his good record against Arsenal.
Morgan Gibbs-While is expected to play in that No.10 role with key wide men Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi on either side of him, with Wood certainly leading the line for Forest. Beyond that, Espirito Santo is expected to keep his lineup intact, especially with the backline, which is currently the second-best in the league behind the leaders of Liverpool.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Yates, Dominguez; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Key Stats
- Arsenal are undefeated in 26 of their last 29 matches in the Premier League.
- Arsenal have won their last five home matches against Nottingham Forest in all competitions.
- Arsenal are undefeated in their last eight Premier League games at the Emirates.
- Nottingham Forest are unbeaten in seven away games in the Premier League.
- Nottingham Forest have had the second-best defence this season in the Premier League.
Player to Watch
Martin Odegaard
Once again, the Norwegian will be the focus of this game, as he might have had more time to prepare than he did against Chelsea the last time out. Seeing the Arsenal captain back on the pitch was a welcome boost to the away fans at Stamford Bridge before the break, and his second-half performance showed he barely needed time to get back to his best.
Finishing that game with an assist and probably a good late miss, Odegaard feels like the key cog Mikel Arteta has been missing during a dismal run lately. However, the club skipper may feel galvanised enough to start influencing the game in the way Arteta wants, and he remains the player in focus as Arsenal take on Nottingham Forest.
Prediction
Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest will once again rely on a strong defensive performance to frustrate their opponents, but it might be difficult to hold off Arsenal at the Emirates. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side did show some problems in their last game against Newcastle, something which the Gunners will look at closely and exploit.
Mikel Arteta, much like the fans, will feel the need to treat this game as a must-win, and with most of his players now available, the Spaniard could look to unleash his charges on home soil. Arsenal are also expected to regroup on their defensive performances, as this game could be the beginning when the backline starts shining. The Gunners are expected to take three points and keep a clean sheet against a tricky Forest side.
