Will it be business as usual or will Forest stun the Gunners?

Arsenal are back in Premier League action after two positive results in respective cup competitions. 4-1 against Portsmouth ensured a route through to the fourth round of the FA Cup. Later in the week they faced Chelsea in the EFL Cup semi final, Mikel Arteta’s men triumphed 3-2. They take that victory back to the Emirates, which will be played at the start of February. Despite the 0-0 against Liverpool, last time out in the league, getting back to winning ways was imperative. But, now it’s time to get back to winning ways in the league. Nottingham Forest do present a challenge, especially at The City Ground. Let’s see what kind of challenge they present.

Form

Nottingham Forest had a very disappointing FA Cup third round. They drew 3-3 away to Wrexham, but were eventually knocked out on penalties. That would leave a bitter taste in Sean Dyche’s mouth as that’s another piece of silverware that has slipped away. Turning our attention back to the league, Forest sit 17th in the league. They’re sitting relatively clear of West Ham in 18th, seven points separate the two sides. Dyche’s men have had a difficult time in the league of late, despite beating West Ham last week. Prior to the Hammers result, they’d lost four in a row. Dyche had improved the mood around the club, after his arrival, but it’s always difficult to sustain. One bad result can turn into two, then three and then four. It was extremely important that they halted the slide against West Ham, and will now look to kick on with a win over Arsenal.

However, Forest actually struggle more on their own turf than away. They’ve earned 11 points on the road, picking up just 10 at The City Ground. They’ve won three games at home and have dropped points in seven, losing six of them. Having said that, they have beaten one North London side at home this season. Spurs were thumped 3-0. What will be key to remember is that the Gunners have played twice since Forest crashed out of the FA Cup, even that was a rotated squad. The last time the main players were all on a pitch together was the 6th January. That’s just under two weeks of rest, so it’s not a game we’ll be able to wear down our opponents. Dyche will have certainly worked hard with his players and that could spell trouble.

Injuries

Sean Dyche has been blessed with an almost full roster. The only absentees will be Chris Wood, Ryan Yates and John Victor. Given Wood’s exploits last season, he is a miss, but he has already missed the majority of the campaign. Dyche can pick his strongest XI.

Arsenal have given no update on Riccardo Calafiori, Cristhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie and Max Dowman. This suggests all will be absent tomorrow.

Forest Predicted Lineup

On paper, this is a talented team. They have plenty of quality that can hurt us. Igor Jesus had a very good game against Manchester City recently. Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Omari Hutchinson are all technically gifted. The back line is also as strong as it has been all season with all of their starters back, after Ola Aina’s return. Dyche is known for conservative football with a heavy reliance on defensive structure. We’ll likely see something similar, but he has options to hit us on the counter.

Arsenal Predicted Lineup

This is probably our strongest lineup and we have to go strong here. We’ve struggled against sides that play fast football and press man-to-man, so we’ll need all the quality we can get. I do think Lewis-Skelly might get a start here due to Ben White and Jurrien Timber both playing on Wednesday night. Both our right back options covering both flanks is not ideal and it’ll be a chance for Lewis-Skelly to restore some faith. We have plenty of options on the bench to mix things up. Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, Eberechi Eze, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino can all do a job.

Predicted Result: Forest 0-1 Arsenal

This has the feeling of a game that will frustrate Arsenal for large portions. Forest will go close with a few attempts and it’ll feel like the home side deserve to get something from it. However, I do just feel Arsenal will steal a goal from somewhere, a set-piece most likely. We need to make sure players like Gibbs-White and Anderson don’t get settled into the match. If they start popping it around then we could be in for a long evening. Let’s get it!