Arsenal Vs Nottingham Forest: The Gunners Must Overcome The Difficult Period At Emirates Stadium

Gabriel Teodoro Martinelli is expected to shine again in front of Arsenal (photo: x @Arsenal)

JAKARTA - The Emirates Stadium in London will be the stage of the meeting between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday, November 23, 2024. Although both teams were only separated by goal difference in the standings, the difference in their performance trends increased the appeal of this match.

Arsenal are experiencing a difficult period with no wins in the last four Premier League games. After only a 1-1 draw against Chelsea, the Gunners are in seventh place with 18 points. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest, who appeared surprising this season, is in fifth place with the same number of points, but has a better goal difference.

Mikel Arteta hopes his team can take advantage of the advantage of playing at home, considering they are unbeaten in the last eight games at the Emirates. However, their opponent, Nottingham Forest, also has an impressive away record with seven matches without defeat.

Mikel Arteta faces a dilemma of injury in his team. Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice were absent from international duty but will most likely be available. Leandro Trossard, who suffered an injury while defending Belgium, is still in doubt, while Ben White is out until the new year after undergoing surgery. Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu, and Kieran Tierney are also not certain to play.

Ben White is confirmed to be absent until the end of the year after undergoing knee surgery, Tomiyasu and Calafiori still have to recover from a knee injury. Luckily Kieran Tierney, who suffered a hamstring injury, began to be seen training with the team again. However, Tierney is likely not going to be fielded yet, so Oleksandr Zinchenko is predicted to remain in left-back position. Meanwhile, Jurrien Timber is likely to replace Ben White's role as right-back.

On the back, Arteta is expected to rely on trio William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, and goalkeeper David Raya. For midfield, Martin Odegaard, who has just returned from a minor injury, is expected to appear alongside Thomas Partey and Declan Rice. Odegaard and Partey are Arteta's first choice to maintain stability and creativity in midfield, while Rice is expected to play in the left midfielder position.

In attack, Bukayo Saka is expected to be fit enough to return to the right flank, accompanied by Gabriel Martinelli on the left. Kai Havertz, who scored all Premier League goals this season at the Emirates, is expected to spearhead the team for the game.

The match against Nottingham Forest is an opportunity for Arsenal to end their negative trend in the Premier League. Arteta hopes his squad can take advantage of the momentum of playing at home to regain three points and keep the hope of competing at the top of the standings

On the other hand, Coach Nottingham Nuno Espirito Santo has only lost Danilo and Ibrahim Sangare who are still recovering from long-term injuries. Chris Wood and Murillo, who have just returned from international duty, are likely to be able to perform, although their condition will still be monitored. Taiwo Awoniyi is ready to be an option if Wood is not fit enough.

Forest carries a real threat with impressive away performance, but Arsenal has a solid home record. With Odegaard's return as the attack organizer, Arsenal is predicted to be able to overcome the fierce resistance of Nottingham Forest in a tight match.

Arsenal Lineup Forecast (4-3-3):Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1):Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Dominguez, Yates; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood