Preview: Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest – Prediction, Team News, Line-ups

In ordinary circumstances, Arsenal might welcome the prospect of a visit from Nottingham Forest as they seek to rebound from their defeat at Liverpool before the international break.

It has been almost four decades since Forest last got the better of Arsenal in north London and in their last half a dozen home games against Saturday lunchtime’s opponents, the Gunners have scored 19 goals and conceded just two.

Circumstances are far from normal, however, with Forest’s appointment of Ange Postecoglou as manager earlier this week promising to add an extra edge to proceedings.

The Australian will inevitably receive a hostile reception as he returns to the Premier League barely three months after his dismissal as Tottenham Hotspur manager, but Mikel Arteta’s men may have more to worry about than local grudges.

Since his appointment as head coach of the Australia national team in 2013, Postecoglou has maintained an unbeaten record in his first official game in charge of a new side. That run encompasses an introductory win with the Socceroos and debut draws at the helm of Yokohama F Marinos, Celtic and Tottenham.

Whether Postecoglou can prolong that unbeaten sequence is another matter.  There has been widespread disappointment among Forest fans over the dismissal of Nuno Espírito Santo, whose counter-attacking style could hardly be more different to the Australian’s high-pressing, high-possession tactics, and it will inevitably take time for Forest to adapt.

It remains to be seen whether there will be a “new manager bounce”, given the obvious affection in which Nuno was held by his players – although the Forest squad is said to have reacted professionally to Postecoglou’s arrival. 

Even without the injured Bukayo Saka and William Saliba, the odds favour Arsenal to throw the gauntlet down to league leaders Liverpool, who do not face Burnley until Sunday afternoon.

Score prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

A repeat of last season’s emphatic home league win over Forest is by no means beyond the realms of possibility, particularly after the 5-0 rout of Leeds at the Emirates last month.  

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest team news

Saka and Saliba, neither of whom were called up for international duty, are expected to be absent for Arsenal as they respectively recover from hamstring and ankle injuries. 

Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus remain sidelined, while it is not yet known whether the Danish midfielder Christian Nørgaard could be in line for a debut appearance after his summer signing from Brentford. Martin Ødegaard has recovered from the shoulder injury he suffered at Anfield and scored in Norway’s thumping 11-1 win over Moldova on Tuesday.

Forest are likely to be without Nigeria international Ola Aina after the full-back suffered a suspected hamstring injury in a draw with South Africa. With Arsenal loanee Oleksandr Zinchenko unable to play against his parent club, Nicolò Savona, a summer signing from Juventus, could slot in at left-back, with Neco Williams switching to the opposite flank.

Argentina midfielder Nicolás Domínguez remains out with a knee injury. 

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest predicted lineups

Arsenal: David Raya; Jurrien Timber, Cristhian Mosquera, Magalhaes Gabriel, Riccardo Calafiori; Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice; Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze.

Nottingham Forest: Matz Sels; Neco Williams, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo Santiago Costa dos Santos, Nicolò Savona; Morgan Gibbs-White, Ibrahim Sangare, Elliot Anderson; Dan Ndoye, Chris Wood, Omari Hutchinson.