For the first time in 27 days, we finally return to Emirates Stadium action on Saturday (3pm) when we take on this season’s surprise package Nottingham Forest.
As we look to rediscover our early-season form, we can lean on the fact that we have lost only two of our 14 Premier League games against Forest, and have never on home turf. In fact, we’ve won the last four home league games 11-2 on aggregate.
But Nuno Espirito Santo’s 2024/25 side are a different force. They’ve been hugely impressive, heading into the weekend in fifth spot, level on points with ourselves, having remained unbeaten in their six away games so far and eyeing a first win in N5 since 1989.
Forest stayed up last season with 32 points, the lowest tally ever to survive in Premier League history. However, it’s taken them just 11 games to amass 19 this time around despite only three new faces forcing themselves into the starting line-up regularly – Elliot Anderson, Alex Moreno and Nikola Milenkovic.
Their only two league defeats have come at the City Ground against Fulham and Newcastle United in their final match before the international break, meaning they head to north London unbeaten on their travels and buoyed by victory at Liverpool in September.
With eight to his name so far, Chris Wood has scored 53% of Forest’s league goals, and only Erling Haaland has netted a higher share for his club. The Kiwi was named October’s Premier League Player of the Month, while Nuno took the managerial honours having swiftly transformed his side’s fortunes.
Arteta: “Forest have been really good, really consistent. They’ve been tough against the best opposition especially, so big credit to Nuno [Espirito Santo] and the coaching staff for what they’re doing. They’re very clear with their intentions on how they manage to take the game the way they want. I’m really impressed with how they’ve done.
“We love playing at the Emirates, we know that we have a unique atmosphere with our supporters there. Again, the way I saw the team the last 48 hours, I’m confident that tomorrow we will go all out to try and win the game.”
Nuno: “The first step was the awareness of the players that understand that we needed to improve on that aspect and their involvement was massive, they put some effort on that – many hours on the training ground. The last game [against Newcastle] was not so good but the effort is with the players and they deserve credit.
“What I expect and what the players give to us is total commitment to do things right. From the outside this can be surprising but for us, no. We work with them every day. We know the quality and the talent and we demand a lot from them.”
Ben White is set for months on the sidelines after undergoing minor knee surgery, while Leandro Trossard limped off early in Belgium’s loss to Israel on Monday night but Arteta believes he should be OK to feature.
Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice all missed international action during the break to recover from their injury and fitness issues but have all taken part in training this week, as has Riccardo Calafiori after missing the past few weeks and should be included in the squad. Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain out, but the Scot has also taken part in some recent sessions.
As for Forest, Anderson didn’t feature for England under-21s during the international break because of a foot problem, while right-back Ola Aina returned from Nigeria duty early but has been pictured back in training this week.
Two players who will definitely miss out are Danilo, who has returned to light training after breaking his ankle on the opening weekend, and Ibrahim Sangare who is out until the new year after hamstring surgery.
Adrian Clarke, writing in the official matchday programme: Forest’s class of 2024 contains a bunch of talented individuals who look after the ball very well, but in essence they are a low-possession outfit, averaging just 42% of the ball so far this term, ranking them 18th in the division.
Set up in a 4-2-3-1, they are content sitting back in a 4-5-1 off the ball, making themselves tough to break down. It’s a ploy that works as they boast the second-best defensive record, conceding just 10 times. Centre-backs Murillo and Milenkovic have been the cornerstone of the early season success, and their differing skillsets complement one another perfectly.
From that resolute base, they enjoy turning the ball over, playing through the thirds quickly, and launching counters. The attacking midfield trio of Morgan Gibbs-White flanked by pacy wingers Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga has a lovely balance, and only Liverpool and Chelsea have fashioned more shots from fast breaks.
Set pieces have also become a key part of Forest’s armoury, scoring a joint-high five goals from dead ball situations across their first 11 games. But while they have athleticism and industry aplenty, at times Nuno’s side lack creativity. No Premier League team executes fewer through balls, and their passing accuracy is among the weakest of all 20 teams.
Forest have lost each of their last four Premier League away games against us and are winless in their last 10 league visits since a 3-1 win in March 1989.
We have won six of our last seven Premier League games against Nottingham Forest, with the exception being a 1-0 loss at the City Ground in May 2023.
Having won three of 36 Premier League away games since returning in 2022, Forest have won five of their last seven. They’re looking to go unbeaten in their first six away games in a top-flight campaign for the first time since 1995/96.
We are unbeaten in our last 14 Premier League games kicking off at 3pm on a Saturday, winning each of the last eight.
Since their return to the top-flight in 2022/23, Forest have won just one of their 15 Premier League games in London – at Chelsea in September 2023.
No sides have scored more Premier League goals from set-piece situations (excluding penalties) than ourselves or Forest (5, level with Aston Villa).
All four of Kai Havertz’s Premier League goals this season have come in home games – it’s the most a player has scored in the competition so far with 100% coming at home.
Raheem Sterling has scored four times in his four Premier League games against Forest, with his average of a goal every 68 minutes against them his best against any opponent he’s faced more than once.
Taiwo Awoniyi has scored in each of his last three Premier League appearances against us.
Simon Hooper will take charge of his eighth Gunners game this weekend, and three of those have been against Forest. His first-ever Arsenal appointment saw us triumph 5-0 in October 2022, while he was the man in the middle the last time we faced off, when we won 2-1 on the banks of the Trent in January.
We have only lost once under his watch, our League Cup exit at West Ham United last term, and his last appearance at the Emirates saw us thrash Chelsea 5-0. Forest meanwhile haven’t won any of the last eight he officiated, tasting victory on just eight of the 24 occasions he has been in charg
Last season saw Forest head to our home on the opening day of the season, and we made a winning start as an Eddie Nketiah strike and a Goal of the Season clincher from Bukayo Saka secured a 2-1 win over Steve Cooper’s side.
The year before was Reiss Nelson’s day as he came off the bench to score twice during a 5-0 success in October 2022, with Gabriel Martinelli, Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard also getting on the scoresheet, while that was also the scoreline on the Reds’ first ever visit to Emirates Stadium in September 2019 in League Cup action, a night remembered for Martinelli bagging his first Gunners goals.
With this game not being shown live in the UK, make sure you tune into our revamped matchday show Live From N5 for all the best build-up to the game!
Nicole Holliday and Jeremie Aliadiere will be joined by club legend Martin Keown to talk about the season so far and his new book On the Edge, while Matt Morsia – aka Legend from Gladiators – takes on Jeremie in a slightly less physical challenge than normal!
They’ll bring you all the bits you may have missed on social media this week, and mark Mikel Arteta’s 250th game by asking supporters for the best assist in that time.
Then when the action gets underway, live commentary will be provided by Dan Roebuck and Adrian Clarke to keep you abreast of all the goings-on.
