Following a weekend of FA Cup action, the Premier League returns with a full round of midweek fixtures, starting at the City Ground on Tuesday evening.
Relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest entertain title-chasing Arsenal in the first clash of the round, as both sides aim to improve their respective positions.
Thomas Partey is back in training 💪 pic.twitter.com/XzB05iyQVz— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 27, 2024
Thomas Partey is back in training 💪 pic.twitter.com/XzB05iyQVz
Forest find themselves four points clear of the drop zone, while the Gunners sit five points behind leaders Liverpool, and we have used AI mathematics to predict the outcome of Tuesday’s showdown.
On Friday, Nottingham Forest played out a dull goalless stalemate with Bristol City in the fourth round of the FA Cup, forcing a replay in February.
It is worth noting, however, that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have lost just one of their last six matches across all competitions.
In the Premier League, Forest secured back-to-back victories over Newcastle United and Manchester United before suffering a 3-2 defeat to Brentford last time out.
That said, trends show that Forest have managed to win just three of their previous 17 league games, with Steve Cooper losing his job last month.
As for Arsenal, they thrashed Crystal Palace 5-0 last time out, ending a run of three consecutive defeats across all competitions.
Not only have the Gunners won one of their last four Premier League games, but they have also won two of their previous eight across all competitions.
Mikel Arteta’s men have been especially poor on their travels of late, failing to win any of their last four away games while scoring just three goals.
Having won only two of their previous eight outings on the road, Arsenal will be desperate to fix their away-day problems as quickly as possible.
Head-to-head: Interestingly, the home team has won each of the past six meetings between Forest and Arsenal, with the Tricky Trees winning 1-0 last season.
Given that the previous seven encounters have produced 25 goals – 3.6 goals per game – we should be treated to a high-scoring spectacle on Tuesday.
Team news: The hosts have six players at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Taiwo Awoniyi, Felipe and Anthony Elanga remain sidelined through injury.
As for the visitors, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mohamed Elneny are away on international duty, with Thomas Partey, Fabio Vieira and Jurrien Timber out injured.
Although Arsenal have struggled on the road in recent times, Tuesday’s clash provides them with the ideal opportunity to get back on track.
Forebet’s algorithm predicts that Arsenal will score over 2.5 goals on their way to dispatching Nottingham Forest, who are also expected to score.