Nottingham Forest face Arsenal in the Premier League on 17 January, with both sides arriving under very different pressures. Arsenal chase momentum after recent cup wins, while Forest look to address poor
home form and uncertainty around Oleksandr Zinchenko before the meeting at the City Ground.
Arsenal enter the game after a goalless league draw with Liverpool but have since responded with victories over Portsmouth in the FA Cup and Chelsea in the EFL Cup. Those results restore confidence before another away test, where defensive strength against Forest has been a recent feature.
Arsenal have kept clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League matches against Nottingham Forest. Forest have also lost eight of their previous 10 league games against Arsenal, although the exceptions came at the City Ground, with a 1-0 win in May 2023 and a 0-0 draw in February 2025.
Forest’s home record this season raises concern. The team have lost six of 10 Premier League games at the City Ground, with three wins and one draw. That already exceeds last season’s home defeats, when Forest recorded nine wins, five draws and five losses, while conceding fewer goals across the campaign.
Sean Dyche confirms that Nottingham Forest have discussed Oleksandr Zinchenko’s situation, as the defender remains on loan from Arsenal. Zinchenko is set to face the parent club but has limited minutes, which places further focus on squad choices and the Europa League registration decisions made this season.
Zinchenko has played only five Premier League matches and three Europa League games for Forest. The defender was withdrawn at half-time in the FA Cup third-round defeat to Wrexham. Questions intensified when Ola Aina, now recovered from injury, replaced Zinchenko in Forest’s Europa League squad.
Dyche explains that clear communication with Zinchenko is ongoing but avoids confirming any transfer outcome. Dyche says: "We have spoken to the player and made it clear in his situation. He is aware of that, so we will see what happens. We are being very open with him. He is a thorough professional, he has been, and I am sure he will be going forward, no matter what. "
Looking ahead to Arsenal.Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) January 15, 2026
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal midfield influence and attacking threats
Arsenal’s upturn in results has included an important contribution from Martin Zubimendi. The midfielder scored in the win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and now has two goals in his last five Arsenal appearances, matching his previous tally from his first 23 matches for the club.
Mikel Arteta highlights Zubimendi’s versatility and compares the midfielder’s attributes with Declan Rice. Arteta says: "Well, I think when we talk about Zubi, its what else can he do? He can do whatever he wants, it's a bit similar to Declan's qualities. We just have to keep unlocking that in his system, in his brain, because he's so good at occupying different spaces, carrying the ball, dribbling, winning duels, and he has a talent when he gets into the final set and into the box. He's so composed; he sees the picture very clearly. "
Making it look easy pic.twitter.com/qkLaRBLpgsArsenal (@Arsenal) January 15, 2026
Forest’s main attacking focus again falls on Morgan Gibbs-White. Gibbs-White has scored in each of his last two Premier League games and leads Forest in league goals this season with five. Gibbs-White is also one goal or assist away from reaching 50 Premier League goal involvements for Forest.
Bukayo Saka remains a central attacking outlet for Arsenal. No player in the Premier League this season has been directly involved in more shots after a ball carry than Saka, with 33 actions. That figure includes 19 shots and 14 chances created, alongside four goals and three assists in 19 league games.
Set-pieces appear crucial to the likely pattern of this match. Excluding penalties, Arsenal have scored 14 set-piece goals in the Premier League this season, more than any other side. Only Bournemouth, with 14 conceded, have allowed more set-piece goals than Forest’s 13 in the current campaign.
Sean Dyche’s past record against Arsenal underlines the scale of the task. Dyche’s teams have never scored more than once in a Premier League game against Arsenal, managing eight goals in 19 meetings. Dyche has won only two of those league fixtures, with Burnley in December 2020 and Everton in February 2023.
Opta’s model reflects Arsenal’s stronger form and historical edge over Forest in the league. The data gives Arsenal a 66.6% chance of victory, with Nottingham Forest rated at 15.2% and the draw at 18.1%, underlining the challenge facing Dyche’s side at the City Ground.
| Outcome | Opta win probability |
|---|---|
| Nottingham Forest | 15.2% |
| Draw | 18.1% |
| Arsenal | 66.6% |
Forest approach the meeting with Arsenal trying to balance Zinchenko’s future, defensive weaknesses at set-plays and poor home numbers. Arsenal arrive with renewed confidence, strong recent defensive records against Forest and key contributions from Zubimendi and Saka, which combine to support their status as clear favourites in this fixture.
