Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Arsenal are all set to kick-start their Premier League campaign by hosting Nottingham Forest at the Emirates on Saturday.

Arsenal have had a tremendous transfer window and will likely start the new season against Nottingham Forest with all three of their new signings in the starting lineup. The Gunners have had a reasonably successful pre-season and capped it off with a Community Shield win over Manchester City.

That game at Wembley showed what Arsenal are made of this season and how Mikel Arteta has managed to integrate his new arrivals smoothly. The Community Shield match also showed what the starting lineup for the first game against Nottingham Forest would look like.

For Arteta, the biggest challenge is to keep the hunger within his team alive and go again for the Premier League title. The clash against Nottingham Forest will also bring back memories of how Steve Cooper’s side effectively ended their title challenge with the loss at City Ground.

Hence, there is plenty of motivation for Arteta before opening the season. More importantly, Arsenal must have an excellent start to their campaign and look to build momentum to sustain a title challenge in the upcoming season.

Nottingham Forest will enter the new season knowing they must sustain another relegation challenge. Cooper’s side managed to avert a catastrophic relegation back to the Championship after a late rally in the last campaign.

Cooper has again found the support of his club owner to provide the necessary funds to strengthen the side and make them at least mid-table challengers at best. Whether that is sufficient will remain a question, but they look steady so far.

The aim for Cooper on the opening day must circle around avoiding a heavy defeat and bringing back the spirit that saw them beat the Gunners. Incidentally, their victory over Arsenal at the City Ground confirmed their safety from relegation, and the Forest manager will hope for a similar, gritty result.

Team News & Tactics

Arsenal

Mikel Arteta does have a few injury problems on his side and will have to start the season with some known absentees. Gabriel Jesus leads the pack as he will miss a few weeks of action after undergoing a minor procedure on the same knee he injured at the World Cup.

Folarin Balogun, expected to depart, remains a doubt with a foot injury, although he was spotted in the latest training video. Jorginho is also a doubt alongside Reiss Nelson, Mohamed Elneney and Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Ukrainian utility man did play a part in the charity match, and Arteta may not risk him so soon, given how important a player he is for Arsenal.

Despite the raft of absentees, Arsenal have a more than sufficient squad to take on Nottingham Forest on opening day. Arteta will again engage in the dilemma of choosing his leading striker for this clash, with Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard the front runners, with Eddie Nketiah also an option.

It does feel like Arteta will name the same starting lineup that faced Manchester City last Sunday, with Havertz leading the line. Jurrien TImber will continue playing in that unfamiliar left-back role, while Declan Rice will lineup alongside Thomas Partey in central midfield.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Ben White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

Nottingham Forest

Steve Cooper also has many key players injured or half-fit for the trip to north London. Central striker Taiwo Awoniyi has not recovered from a knee problem, and defender Felipe sits out with a similar issue. Wayne Hennessey and Omar Richards are also out with different injury problems, while Moussa Niakhate only returned to training a short while ago. So his involvement remains doubtful.

Meanwhile, Cooper was pressed about Tottenham target Brennan Johnson’s availability for this Arsenal clash. The attacker only returned to training a week ago after an injury sustained in the most recent round of international fixtures. The Welshman did play his first pre-season game last week against Eintracht Frankfurt and should ideally start against Arsenal.

Cooper will line up his side in a familiar shape with two strikers upfront. Johnson could form a part of that front two alongside Chris Wood. Morgan Gibbs-White will provide the creativity behind the duo and will have a support of a four-man midfield.

Former Arsenal man Matt Turner, fresh from signing for Forest, could make his debut against his old team at the Emirates. Fellow new arrival Ola Aina could also get the nod at left wing-back, as Cooper will likely play with a back three.

Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Turner; Worrall, Boly, McKenna; Williams, Mangala, Yates, Aina; Gibbs-White; Johnson, Wood

Key Stats

• There have been 41 goals scored in the last nine Premier League games at the Emirates Stadium, with only one of those matches seeing fewer than four goals.
• Arsenal kept only four clean sheets at the Emirates during the 2022-23 Premier League season.
• Arsenal have lost four and won just two of their last seven opening-day fixtures when playing at the Emirates.
• Nottingham Forest scored the fewest goals in the Premier League away from home last season (11) and conceded the most on the road (44).
• Nottingham Forest picked up just eight points away from home last season – the fewest in the Premier League.

Player to Watch

Declan Rice

The last 24-48 hours in the transfer market have shown how smart Arsenal were to wrap up the Declan Rice signing relatively early in the window. The midfielder was Mikel Arteta’s priority target, with no second choice planned if they failed, and so far, he has impressed in a new role with the Gunners.

In fact, Rice scored in his last appearances against Nottingham Forest and will hope to evolve in this attacking style at Arsenal. It is a different challenge for Rice in this setup under Arteta, and they will hope to start putting in the goals this season. Him and Partey could form a daunting midfield partnership that could prove pivotal for the Gunners to challenge for the title this season.

Prediction

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

The Gunners may have faltered against Forest in their most recent Premier League meeting, but they always play with a swagger while at home. They showed that against Steve Cooper’s men last season when Mikel Arteta’s men thumped them 5-0.

We expect a similar scoreline, maybe not as emphatic as a 5-0 win. It is sufficient to deduce that Arsenal will emerge as the overwhelming winner and set the tone for a promising Premier League campaign.