Reigning Premier League champions Arsenal head to the City Ground on Sunday to face struggling Nottingham Forest. While Mikel Arteta’s side continue to showcase devastating second-half powers of recovery to keep pace with league leaders Manchester City, the hosts are fighting to convert an abundance of chances into goals and pull away from the relegation danger zone.
Venue: The City Ground
Local Kick-off Time: Oct 18, 2026 4.30pm
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Click here to watch the match LIVE now! 🔴 ▶
Nottingham Forest
Form & Tactical Outlook:
Oliver Glasner’s Nottingham Forest enter Matchweek 7 crippled by wastefulness in front of goal. With just five goals scored across their opening six matches—the joint second-worst tally in the division—the Tricky Trees sit 15th in the standings, hovering just two points clear of the drop zone. Forest have only themselves to blame after spurning eight big chances in a deflating 3-1 reverse at Crystal Palace last weekend, taking their under-performance on the xG front to a league-worst -5.3. Glasner’s personal domestic record is under intense scrutiny, with the Austrian winning only five of his last 29 Premier League fixtures across his spells with Palace and Forest (L15). However, historical resilience on home soil provides genuine solace: Forest have suffered just one defeat in their last six home meetings with Arsenal, frustrating the Gunners with consecutive 0-0 draws at the City Ground over the past two campaigns.
Team News:
Forest face an anxious wait over talismanic playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White, who sustained a minor muscular injury against Palace and is rated a major doubt after missing full training prior to Friday. Gibbs-White has created the most big chances (7) and open-play chances (15) in the top flight this season, making his potential absence a catastrophic blow. More positively, center-back Nikola Milenković (knee) has resumed training and could feature, though striker Igor Jesus (calf) and defender Nicolò Savona (knee) remain sidelined.
Arsenal
Form & Tactical Outlook:
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal arrive in the East Midlands riding the momentum of nine wins from 10 matches across all competitions. While the Gunners sit three points adrift of Manchester City, their hallmark in recent weeks has been ruthless second-half execution after failing to score in the opening 45 minutes of their last five fixtures. In midweek, Arsenal tore Lille apart with a devastating seven-minute blitz courtesy of Jurriën Timber, Eberechi Eze, and Bukayo Saka to preserve their unblemished Champions League record. Intriguingly, the champions have diversified their offensive threat away from dead-ball reliance: 20 of their 21 goals in all competitions this term have originated from open play—the highest proportion of any Premier League side. Furthermore, Arsenal boast an imposing head-to-head record against Forest, remaining unbeaten in six matches while keeping four consecutive clean sheets.
Team News:
Piero Hincapié faces several weeks on the sidelines after suffering an ankle injury during warm-downs against Leeds, joining Christos Tzolis (hamstring) and William Saliba (back) on the unavailable list, though Saliba has resumed individual training. Midfielder Martín Zubimendi has made significant progress and could return to the matchday squad, but is unlikely to be risked from the start. Following decisive cameos off the bench in Europe, Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Kai Havertz are all poised to return to Arteta's starting XI.
