Nottingham Forest head coach Oliver Glasner faces one of his biggest challenges yet as his team prepares to welcome Premier League champions Arsenal to the City Ground on Sunday, October 18, 2026.
The Austrian manager will be desperate to guide his players to a positive result against Mikel Arteta’s side, but Nottingham Forest’s recent struggles have raised questions about whether they can compete effectively against one of the strongest teams in English football.
Arsenal will travel to Nottingham looking to secure another important victory in their pursuit of Premier League success. Forest, meanwhile, must find a way to stop the visitors while addressing their own problems in front of goal.
Although there is no confirmed report that Glasner is afraid of facing Arsenal, his pre-match comments demonstrate that he recognises the enormous challenge awaiting his team. The Forest manager has praised Arsenal’s intensity, work rate and quality, making it clear that his players will need to produce an outstanding performance to get a result.
Oliver Glasner Recognises Arsenal’s Strength
Glasner understands that Arsenal are a dangerous opponent, particularly because of their ability to dominate possession while maintaining an impressive work rate without the ball.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s encounter, the Nottingham Forest manager praised the intensity displayed by Arteta’s team. He highlighted how Arsenal continue to run hard and compete even when they enjoy a large share of possession.
According to reporting by Sky Sports, Glasner described Arsenal’s work rate as an important quality and praised Arteta for the standards he has established within the team.
That assessment underlines the challenge facing Nottingham Forest. Arsenal are not simply a team that relies on technical ability; they also work aggressively to win possession back and prevent opponents from building dangerous attacks.
For Forest, this means that playing through Arsenal’s press will require concentration, accurate passing and intelligent movement. Any careless mistake could give the visitors an opportunity to create a goalscoring chance.
Glasner will therefore need his players to remain organised throughout the contest rather than allowing Arsenal to dictate every phase of the game.
Nottingham Forest’s Goalscoring Problem Causes Concern
One of the biggest issues facing Nottingham Forest ahead of the Arsenal match is their lack of efficiency in front of goal.
Forest have created numerous opportunities this season but have struggled to convert enough of them into goals. Their disappointing finishing was particularly evident during their 3-1 defeat against Crystal Palace last weekend.
Despite creating several promising opportunities, Forest failed to take advantage of their attacking performance. The result left Glasner frustrated because he believed his players had done enough in several areas of the game to achieve a better outcome.
Sky Sports reported that Forest had recorded 24 shots against Palace, demonstrating that their biggest problem was not necessarily creating opportunities but finishing them.
Glasner has maintained that he would be more concerned if his team were unable to create chances. Instead, he believes his players must remain calm and improve their decision-making in the final third.
However, Arsenal are unlikely to offer Forest many opportunities to recover from missed chances. The Gunners possess the quality to punish defensive mistakes, making clinical finishing essential for the home side.
If Forest continue wasting opportunities, they could find themselves struggling to recover against an Arsenal team capable of controlling the game.
Arsenal’s Attacking Quality Could Trouble Forest
Arsenal possess several players capable of making the difference in a difficult away fixture.
Bukayo Saka remains an important attacking threat because of his ability to beat defenders, create chances and deliver dangerous balls into the penalty area. Martin Ødegaard can also influence the game through his passing, movement and creativity in midfield.
Declan Rice provides another important dimension, helping Arsenal win second balls, protect their defence and move possession forward quickly.
These qualities could make life difficult for Nottingham Forest, especially if the home side struggles to maintain its defensive shape.
Arteta’s team can attack through the middle or use the wide areas to stretch opposing defences. This flexibility means Forest cannot concentrate on stopping just one player.
Glasner will need his defenders and midfielders to communicate effectively, close down space and avoid leaving dangerous gaps between the lines.
The Forest manager must also decide whether to press Arsenal high up the pitch or defend in a compact shape and look for opportunities on the counterattack.
Both approaches carry risks. Pressing too aggressively could leave spaces for Arsenal to exploit, while sitting too deep could allow the visitors to build sustained pressure around the penalty area.
Morgan Gibbs-White’s Fitness Is Another Concern
Forest’s preparations have also been affected by uncertainty surrounding the availability of key players.
Morgan Gibbs-White is doubtful for the Arsenal encounter after suffering a minor muscle injury during the defeat against Crystal Palace. Glasner explained that the midfielder had missed most of the week’s training and would need to be assessed before a final decision was made.
The situation is significant because Gibbs-White is one of Forest’s most influential creative players. His ability to carry the ball, find teammates in dangerous positions and create goalscoring opportunities could be important against Arsenal.
Forest also reported that Nikola Milenković was a doubt as he worked towards returning from injury, while Nicolò Savona and Igor Jesus were expected to miss the match.
These potential absences could force Glasner to make important adjustments to his starting lineup.
The manager will hope that his available players can deliver a disciplined performance regardless of the final selection. Facing Arsenal requires concentration across the entire team, and Forest cannot afford to lose control of midfield or leave their defenders exposed.
Mikel Arteta Will Expect Arsenal to Dominate
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will understand the importance of securing three points against Nottingham Forest.
The Gunners have shown that they can respond positively when matches become difficult, and their ability to recover from setbacks has been an important feature of their recent performances.
Arteta will likely demand patience from his players if Forest defend deep. Arsenal must move the ball quickly, exploit spaces between defenders and remain alert to counterattacks.
The visitors will also need to defend set pieces carefully because Forest could view those situations as an opportunity to trouble Arsenal’s backline.
Arsenal’s objective will be to establish control early and prevent the home supporters from lifting Forest’s confidence.
If the Gunners score first, they could force the hosts to abandon their defensive approach and commit more players forward. That would potentially create additional spaces for Arsenal to exploit.
Nevertheless, Arteta will know that an away fixture against a determined opponent cannot be taken for granted.
Can Nottingham Forest Surprise Arsenal?
Despite Arsenal’s quality, Nottingham Forest should not be written off before the match begins.
The home side demonstrated against Crystal Palace that it can create attacking opportunities, even when the final result does not reflect its performance.
If Forest improve their finishing and maintain defensive discipline, they could make the contest uncomfortable for the visitors.
The City Ground crowd could also provide an important boost, particularly if Forest begin the match with energy and put Arsenal under pressure.
Glasner’s challenge is to transform his players’ encouraging attacking statistics into better results. His team must remain confident without becoming careless, while ensuring that missed chances do not affect their concentration.
A strong performance against Arsenal could provide Forest with valuable momentum for the remainder of the season.
Final Verdict
Oliver Glasner faces a demanding assignment as Nottingham Forest prepare to take on Arsenal on Sunday. The visitors have quality throughout their squad, while Forest are still searching for greater consistency and improved finishing.
The Forest manager’s praise for Arsenal’s intensity shows that he recognises the scale of the challenge, although there is no verified evidence that he has admitted being afraid of the Gunners.
Arsenal will enter the encounter as favourites, but they must demonstrate their superiority on the pitch.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Arsenal.
If the Gunners combine their attacking quality with disciplined defending, they could leave the City Ground with three valuable points. For Glasner and Nottingham Forest, the priority will be to remain organised, take their chances and prove that they can compete with the Premier League champions.
