Following a sound Carabao Cup semifinal victory over Chelsea, the Gunners return to Premier League action on the weekend when they travel north to face Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal’s unprecedented series
of four away matches across four separate competitions is halfway done, with the Gunners prevailing in the first two. The biggest of the four awaits midweek, with a Champions League tie away to Inter Milan just around the corner on Tuesday. But first, there is the matter of Nottingham Forest to attend to.
Mikel Arteta’s side are in a fine, if somewhat flawed, run of form. Unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions, they have had some minor blips in their performances, but nothing so major as to derail their progress as they have stayed atop the Premier League table while furthering their domestic and European campaigns. The defense has been hit with injuries, and the revolving door at left back has seen shakeups at the back. As a result, slightly less toothsome performances have led to four of their last five league wins come by one goal margins.
A trip to 17th place Nottingham Forest provides an interesting test. A three day turnaround afterward may force the gaffer into a few changes, but few things are as paramount at this stage in the season as maintaining their 6 point lead at the top of the table. Away to a spiraling opponent hovering just above the drop, does Arteta go strong to secure the win, or does he make a changes and trust that the depth will prevail?
Here are three talking points ahead of Saturday’s match:
Know the Enemy
Nottingham Forest currently sit 17th in the Premier League table with 21 points and a record of 6W/3D/12L.
After last season saw the Tricky Trees finish in a European spot, the bubble has burst this season. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo was canned in September due in large part to butting heads with megalomaniac owner Evangelos Marinakis and former Arsenal sporting director Edu. After Nuno’s departure, Forest turned to PL veteran Sean Dyche to manage the side.
The short tenure of Edu has been an unmitigated disaster after leaving London to assist with the operations of Marinakis’ multi-club imprint. Numerous reports of issues with Arteta’s former consigliere inside the Forest structure have caused a headache, and their recent signings have not made an appreciable impact. Former Hale Ender Omari Hutchinson has only found the net once in 16 appearances since joining from Ipswich Town. Former Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz has been average during his loan spell, and current Arsenal player Alexander Zinchenko’s loan has been largely awful.
Under Dyche, Forest have been lost in the woods. They have only managed 6 wins under his care from 23 matches and have suffered early exits in both the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup against Championship sides. Their Europa League campaign has been middling, as they sit 11th in the league phase after 6 matches. At home, they have tallied a mere 3 wins in league play alongside 6 losses, averaging 1.00 point per game.
They are currently 7 points clear of the relegation zone, but their current run of form means that they are far from safety. A four match losing run was abated by a win against 18th place West Ham last weekend, besting former manager Nuno who is now clinging on to dear life for the second time this season. A win for the Hammers at Spurs would see the gap close to 4, and the pressure on Forest rise immensely.
Despite their current state, they have notched a few marquee wins this seasons, with 0-3 wins at Tottenham and Liverpool. Sean Dyche has been a thorn in Arteta’s side in the past, with Arteta notching 4 wins from 10 matches between the two. Dyche’s bread and butter has always been a stout, disciplined midfield that have utilized mid blocks to great effect against the Gunners, which they will no doubt look to implement on Saturday. They will hope that recent history in this tie will repeat itself. City Ground hasn’t been accommodating to the Gunners. In their 5 most recent visits, the Gunners have only left with a single win, which came nearly 2 years ago. It’s also where their 22/23 title run came to a crushing end after 1-0 loss handed the title to Manchester City.
Forest aren’t short on talent, either. The club’s top scorer Morgan Gibbs White continues to be their talisman after Marinakis threw his weight around and blocked a move to Spurs over the summer. On the wing is former Chelsea academy star Callum Hudson-Odoi who is second in scoring with three goals, and in goal is Matt Selz, who finished tied with Golden Glove winner David Raya with 13 clean sheets last season. According to Opta, Forest should realistically be 5 places higher, with their underlying stats painting a far less dire picture than what is currently playing out.
Forest face up to five missing players through injury, including Chris Wood, Willy Boly, and Ibrahim Sangare.
Injuries & Suspensions
Arsenal’s match at Stamford Bridge was far less physical than the first visit this season, and the Gunners left without any new injuries. The current crop of injured players are still a ways out, which means the limited rotation at the back remains.
OUT: Cristhian Mosquera (ankle), Riccardo Calafiori (muscular), Piero Hincapie (groin)
Predicted Lineup
Attack: Martinelli, Gyökeres, Saka
Arsenal’s quick turnaround to travel to face Inter Milan likely means Arteta might rotate where he can. Gabriel Martinelli was a sub against Chelsea and bagged his first hat trick over the weekend, so a start at Forest is fair. On the opposite flank, Bukayo Saka is the likely starter, though a start for Noni Madueke would be fine to keep Saka from excess minutes. Viktor Gyökeres is coming off of his best performance in an Arsenal shirt and you want to strike while the iron is hot. Is he finally starting to click? Another start wouldn’t hurt following a confident display at Chelsea.
Midfield: Rice, Zubimendi, Ødegaard
I don’t know if you can really change this midfield right now with the way that they are playing. Each were exceptional against Chelsea, with Declan Rice assisting the opener, Martin Zubimendi scoring the match winner, and Martin Ødegaard deftly moving the ball and testing the keeper. Mikel Arteta was unusually bold with his subs when he took Ødegaard off with a little over 20 minutes left to play, while Declan Rice was even given a brief breather to make room for Kai Havertz in the midfield. I would venture to guess that Arteta will follow a similar pattern on Saturday by leaning on starters to find the lead before making subs to preserve their legs for Tuesday.
Defense: MLS, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber
The choices at the back are limited at the moment. Without the left-sided depth, it’s not a stretch to assume Arteta will call on Myles Lewis-Skelly at left back against Forest, though his recent performances have been well below his standard. Arteta’s decision to start Jurrien Timber at left back against Chelsea had some fans wondering if MLS haD fallen afoul of the gaffer, but it’s also easy to forget that he is still just a teenager. We know his quality when he is on his game, and hopefully he is back to his best soon. The rest of the back four remain the same.
Keeper: Raya
David Raya’s season has gone swimmingly. Rest over the last two matches means he comes back into the side rested and fresh.
Arsenal have been the epitome of consistency, even in the face of a few uncharacteristically close matches. They simply get it done. The depth has proven to be the difference makers we had all hoped they would be, and it has helped propel the Gunners to the front of the pack. Coming off a commanding win over a hated rival, they remain the side to beat. Getting off on the front font and finding the first goal will be crucial at a ground they have found it tough to get results at, but they have shown themselves more than capable of finding different levels and crucial goals when necessary.
WHO: Arsenal at Nottingham Forest
WHAT: Premier League match day 22
WHEN: Saturday, January 17th, 12:30pm EST/9:30am PST/5:30pm GMT
WHERE: City Ground, Nottingham
HOW TO WATCH: Broadcast live on the NBC network
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