Arsenal vs. Nottingham Forest: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Remarkably, struggling Arsenal and high-flying Nottingham Forest are only separated by the difference in goal in the Premier League rankings. They are ready for an exciting fight at the Emirates on Saturday afternoon.

Although Mikel Arteta’s soldiers have not won any of their past four top-division games, their guests join the North London fight fresh off their loss against Newcastle United.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Arsenal, facing a massive battle even to enter the Champions League spots, much alone face Manchester City and Arne Slot’s Liverpool juggernaut for the championship if their first 11 games are anything to go by, tipped for triumph by some before the first ball was played in the 2024–25 season.

The long-awaited comeback of Martin Odegaard to the Arsenal XI against Chelsea did somewhat affect the Gunners’ creativity as Pedro Neto was subsequently gifted all the time and space on the Stamford Bridge pitch to crash home the leveler in a 1-1 draw, while the Norwegian’s floated cross was on the money for Gabriel Martinelli to finish.

Arsenal, currently nine points out of first position and essentially just three points ahead of Brentford in the bottom half of the rankings, could have surely benefited from a two-week reset; needless to say, a winter comeback is of utmost significance.

Though the home is theoretically still where the heart is, Arsenal’s only two wins from their previous seven games across all competitions are an underwhelming Champions League triumph over Shakhtar Donetsk and an EFL Cup killing of Preston North End.

Arteta’s men are currently undefeated in each of their last eight Premier League games at the Emirates Stadium - scoring multiple goals in all but one of those matches - and Saturday’s game will be their 250th under Pep Guardiola’s protege in all competitions.

Arsenal, often praised as one of the top rearguards in Europe, enters Saturday’s encounter with a poorer defensive record than future rivals Nottingham Forest, whose ten goals shipped is the second-best record of its sort in the league behind leaders Liverpool.

But three of those strikes at Newcastle in game week 11 were let in by Nuno Espirito Santo’s troops, where Murillo’s first-half header preceded a second-half onslaught at the hands of Alexander Isak, Joelinton and Harvey Barnes as Forest lost in the top-flight for the first time since late September.

Before Newcastle clipped Forest’s wings, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, and West Ham United had all fallen to the Tricky Trees’ supremacy. However, the fifth-placed visitors will leapfrog Arsenal into the top four with a shock Emirates win or a draw if Chelsea loses to Leicester City in the lunchtime kickoff.

Although Arsenal’s perfect home run is commendable, Forest moves south, seeking to preserve an exceptional seven-match undefeated record on the road in the Premier League; the Reds have only been behind for a paltry 102 minutes and 34 seconds in league play this season.

Though the Gunners had won the last five home games with the Tricky Trees in all competitions since being defeated to a 1-1 tie in 1995, Forest caved prey to a brace of 2-1 defeats to Arsenal in the 2023–24 Premier League season.

Arsenal x Nottingham Forest Team News

Arsenal manager Arteta claimed he would be “praying” for his team to come out of the international break uninjured, but his calls were unheard; Leandro Trossard injured himself while playing for Belgium, while Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice withdrew from the England squad.

While Trossard’s fitness is uncertain, Riccardo Calafiori (knee), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), and Kieran Tierney (thigh) are in the same boat. The latter is back in full training, while Saka and Rice should not be in danger of missing Saturday’s game.

Due to surgery, the Gunners must also deal without Ben White until the New Year; Jurrien Timber should, therefore, revert to his preferred right-back position, thereby enabling Oleksandr Zinchenko to hold the fort at left-back should Calafiori not be risked.

On the fitness department, however, Santo only has long-term absentees Danilo (ankle) and Ibrahim Sangare (thigh) to worry about; the latter might even be back sometime this month.

Although the former did not receive any minutes on his maiden Brazil call-up and should be OK to start at the Emirates, assessments on Murillo and eight-goal scorer Chris Wood after their journeys to the other side of the world for World Cup qualifiers may have to be conducted.

Taiwo Awoniyi would be a suitable stand-in for Wood; nevertheless, Santo will do his best to keep with the player who has exceeded half of Forest’s Premier League targets this season.

Our Predictions

Arsenal to win and over 2.5 goals @ 1.97 on Sky247.ng

After an excellent domestic break, both players should feel refreshed and ready to go again; Forest’s extraordinary away record gives hope of a Tricky Trees surprise at the Emirates.

If there are more missed points on Saturday, Arsenal’s championship defense may be as good as dead in the water. Still, with Odegaard pulling the strings again, we trust Arteta’s side to edge a close game and resurrect their failing drive for glory.

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