Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal

The Premier League leaders travel to the East Midlands today, Saturday, January 17, 2026, as Arsenal faces Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Kick-off is scheduled for 17:30 GMT (12:30 ET).

Mikel Arteta’s side currently holds a six-point lead at the top of the table and looks to extend their advantage following a productive week in cup competitions. For Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest, the match is a chance to move further away from the relegation zone and find redemption after a disappointing FA Cup exit.

Match Information

Arsenal: Maintenance of the Title Charge

Arsenal enters this fixture in high spirits after a 3–2 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday. The Gunners are currently on an impressive run of form, having not conceded three goals in a single league game for over two years. Despite a defensive injury crisis, Arteta has found ways to keep his side clinical, led by the creative form of Martin Ødegaard and the goal-scoring threat of Viktor Gyökeres.

Team News and Selection:

• Defensive Crisis: The Gunners are missing several key defenders. Riccardo Calafiori (muscular) and Cristhian Mosquera (ankle) are ruled out. Piero Hincapié is a major doubt, although Arteta hinted at a possible late return.

• Returns: William Saliba and Leandro Trossard have recovered from minor fitness concerns and are expected to start. David Raya will return to the lineup after being rested in cup action.

• Predicted XI (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Zubimendi, Rice, Ødegaard; Saka, Gyökeres, Trossard.

Nottingham Forest: Searching for a Response

Sean Dyche was vocal about his disappointment following Forest’s "unacceptable" FA Cup loss to Wrexham last weekend. Currently sitting in 17th place, Forest has struggled for goals recently, underperforming their expected goals (xG) metrics significantly. However, they possess a strong home record against the Gunners, having won two and drawn one of their last four meetings with Arsenal at the City Ground.

Team News and Selection:

• Absences: Top scorer Chris Wood and John Victor are out until late February following knee surgeries. Oleksandr Zinchenko is ineligible to play against his parent club.

• AFCON Returns: Forest receives a boost as Ibrahim Sangaré and Willy Boly have returned following Ivory Coast's exit from the tournament.

• Key Player: Morgan Gibbs-White remains the primary creative spark; he is one goal involvement away from 50 in the Premier League for the club.

• Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenković, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Domínguez; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Igor Jesus.

Head-to-Head (H2H) and Key Stats

• Reverse Fixture: Arsenal won 3–0 at the Emirates Stadium in September 2025.

• Away Form: Arsenal currently boasts the best away record in the Premier League this season.

• Forest Resilience: Despite their league position, Forest has proved difficult to beat at home, and the "Dyche factor" often leads to low-block frustration for top-six sides.

• Recent H2H: Arsenal has won 54 times in this historic fixture compared to Forest's 29 wins.

Tactical Analysis and Prediction

Arsenal will likely dominate possession, relying on Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice to control the tempo. The challenge will be breaking down a compact Nottingham Forest defense that thrives on set-pieces and physical duels. If Arsenal can exploit Forest's weakness in defending corners—where only Bournemouth has conceded more this season—they should find the breakthrough.

However, the City Ground atmosphere and Forest’s desperation for points could make this a closer affair than the league table suggests.

Final Score Prediction: Nottingham Forest 0–2 Arsenal