It’s top against bottom in the Premier League on Sunday, as high-flying Arsenal welcome lowly Nottingham Forest to the Emirates Stadium.
Forest will be brimming with confidence after seeing off Liverpool last weekend. However, the remain rock bottom of the table due to their sorry goal difference.
Gearing up for The Gunners. 💪— Nottingham Forest FC (@NFFC) October 27, 2022
Gearing up for The Gunners. 💪
At the opposite end of the standings, the Gunners find themselves two points clear of second-place Manchester City – and 19 points better off than Forest!
Arsenal’s four-game winning streak in the Premier League was brought to an end by Southampton last weekend, as the Saints came from behind to snatch a 1-1 draw.
Still, the Gunners have lost just one of their 11 league outings this season – securing nine wins and one draw.
Mikel Arteta’s side have been especially strong at the Emirates recently. Not only have they won each of their last ten home games, but they have also won 25 of their previous 29.
That said , it is worth noting that Arsenal suffered a 2-0 defeat to PSV in the Europa League on Thursday – despite enjoying 70% of the ball.
On the flip side, Forest head into Sunday’s clash on the back of a memorable 1-0 victory over Liverpool – despite seeing just 24% possession at the City Ground.
However, it is worth noting that last weekend’s victory ended a nine-match winless streak for the Tricky Trees in the Premier League, with three draws and six losses coming in that time.
Steve Cooper’s side have the third-worst defensive record in the division, having conceded 23 goals in 12 games this season (1.9 goals per game).
At the other end of the pitch, Forest have failed to score in each of their last four away games. Needless to say, that is not good news with Arsenal up next.
Head-to-head: Arsenal and Forest have met four times in cup competitions since 2016, with both sides claiming two wins.
The Gunners won 4-0 in 2016 before Forest won 4-2 in 2018. The following year, Arsenal won 5-0 before Forest claimed a 1-0 victory in the FA Cup last season.
Team news: Emile Smith Rowe and Mohamed Elneny remain sidelined for Arsenal, while Oleksandr Zinchenko is a doubt for Sunday’s clash.
As for Forest, they currently have five players out due to injury/illness: Omar Richards, Jack Colback, Lewis O’Brien, Moussa Niakhate and Harry Toffolo.
Although Forest managed to upset Liverpool last weekend, Arsenal are expected to bring Cooper’s men back down to earth on Sunday.
Forebet predicts that Arsenal will secure a high-scoring victory over Forest, with the hosts expected to net over 3.5 goals while keeping a clean sheet.