(4-3-2-1) All injured players back except Ben White”, Predicted Arsenal line up vs Nottingham Forest – As Arteta vows to correct past mistakes
(4-3-2-1) All injured players back except Ben White”, Predicted Arsenal line up vs Nottingham Forest – As Arteta vows to correct past mistakes
Following the final international break of 2024, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest meet at the Emirates Stadium level on points, with a sense that Arsenal’s next few fixtures are all must win games.
The task may prove difficult against a Forest side who have so far exceeded expectation, and find themselves 5th in the table, only behind the Gunners on goal difference.
Arsenal’s campaign started with an expectation across the country that they would make another push for the title, hoping to finally trump Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and bring home their first league title since the 2003/04 season. Through a spell of injuries and controversial red cards, they look a far cry from the side who went the entire season unbeaten 21 years ago.
Forest’s fortunes however, are the opposite. After finishing 16th and 17th in their first two seasons back in the top flight, fans may have expected another tough season in which they aimed to remain in the league.
But a strong start sees them level with the Gunners on points, and facing the prospect of a battle for European football should they continue this form, something that would massively shock the bookies that offer free bets.
Their success so far this season comes mainly from their strong form away from home. They’ve beaten Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield, and taken a point from both Chelsea and Brighton, remaining undefeated in 5 away games this season.
In the 1-1 draw with Chelsea, Arsenal boasted a more familiar line-up which saw the return of some key players. Declan Rice missed the San Siro defeat to Inter, and captain Martin Odegaard started at Stamford Bridge for the first time in two months.
Jurrien Timber, Ben White and Bukayo Saka have all played through injury this season, so the international break may have come at the perfect time for the title-chasers.
Rice and Saka have stayed home for England’s Nation League games, and Odegaard will also continue to train with the club, rather than playing for Norway.
A week with no games as opposed to their hectic schedule, and a chance to work on what has gone wrong so far, may be exactly what Mikel Arteta needs to get the Gunners season back on track.
Key Battles:
Chris Wood v Gabriel and Saliba
A very much ‘what you see is what you get’ striker is Chris Wood. But football isn’t as simple as that.
The Forest striker has been in sizzling form, with eight goals to his name already. The aim for his teammates will be to get the ball into the box at every opportunity to test Arsenal’s back line.
Saliba and Gabriel have found consistency together which stretches back quite a long time now, and together they form the perfect mix of pace and strength.
The only way to beat this pairing is to simply be better than them in the air, or physically when a goal scoring opportunity comes, which in recent history has been hard to come by for Premier League strikers.
The duo were the foundation for Arsenal having the league’s best defence last season. They will look to regain some consistency after a long list of injuries and suspensions meant that Arsenal have had to chop and change their defence, often seeing Thomas Partey filling in at right back, and an inconsistency in the left back position.
The international break should give the Gunners time to re-introduce a more familiar back four, which can only be good for the centre back pairing and would mean they have a solid foundation that can mean they are contending higher up the league table again .
Arsenal’s wingers vs Forest defence
It’s well known that a lot of Arsenal’s goals come from wide areas, that may be from narrow runs in behind, or crosses from out wide. Arteta seems insistent on continuing to start Martinelli, despite him facing criticism for his recent form and output.
Saka has struggled with injuries and has often played through them, which makes his numbers all the more impressive. Despite opposition often doubling up on him, he still usually finds a way to create a chance for a teammate or for himself.
While Forest have impressed, they conceded three goals against Newcastle showing they still have a weakness. Murillo has caught the eye of many bigger clubs but the defenders around him leave a lot to be desired.
Whether it be Trossard or Martinelli on the opposite flank to Saka, either pair has faced, and decimated a much stronger set of full backs compared to Ola Aina and Alex Moreno.
What to Expect:
Arsenal have been much less creative without their talisman Odegaard, who despite missing 15 games has created the most chances in the premier league in 2024. So his return could be the key to unlocking Forest’s defence. We’ve seen Arsenal sides under pressure before during Arteta’s tenure, and he tends to go all out to secure results when under scrutiny.
Forest have played free-flowing football this season with the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Morgan Gibbs-White starring, not to forget an in-form Wood leading the line, the New Zealand international has eight goals already, and was named October’s player of the month.
The Emirates crowd will have a big part to play, and an early goal for either side could foreshadow the end result. While praised for their defensive stability last season, Arsenal have failed to keep a clean sheet since their North London Derby win in September. Expect an open game with both sides looking to cause danger from wider areas.
Prediction: 2-1 Arsenal
