'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Arsenal welcome Nottingham Forest to the Emirates Stadium on the 24th of September as the Gunners look to start their Carabao Cup campaign on a positive note.
Unai Emery’s men scraped past Aston Villa over the weekend in incredible fashion as they mounted an extraordinary second-half comeback, despite being a man light after the sending off of Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Calum Chambers, Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were on target for the Gunners, enabling them to move to 4th on the Premier League standings.
The North London outfit enter this contest high on confidence, considering they’ve won their last two matches despite not playing too well.
However, they will have their task cut out against a Nottingham Forest in full flight.
The Championship outfit sit comfortably in 6th position in the English second-division and are just a couple of points off the summit.
Hence, they would be hoping to rattle the Arsenal cage at the Emirates and continue the narrative of unlikely upsets in the Carabao Cup.
Moreover, Nottingham did post a victory the last time the two teams crossed swords, when Forest pipped their Premier League counterparts 4-2.
Kick-off Information
Date: 24th September, 2019
Time: 07:45 pm (Local Time); 12:15 am IST on the 25th of September, 2019
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
Form Guide (Last five competitive matches; Most recent first)
Arsenal: W-W-D-D-L
Nottingham Forest: W-W-D-W-W
Head to Head Record
Total Matches Played: 99 matches
Arsenal: 50 wins
Nottingham Forest: 27 wins
Draw: 22 draws
Arsenal Predicted Line-up
With Arsenal having played on Sunday in the league, manager Unai Emery might be looking to shuffle his pack and accord some of his first-team stars a rest. The likes of Aubameyang, Bernd Leno, Granit Xhaka, Matteo Guendouzi and Pepe could be given an evening off with a few of the reserves, namely Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe, and Emiliano Martinez getting the nod.
More importantly though, the Gunners could welcome Rob Holding back into the fold after Emery declared the English defender completely fit and available for selection on the eve of the match.
Additionally, Mesut Ozil, who remained an unused substitute on Sunday, could feature, considering he was also ‘rested’ for the fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt.
However, the game might just come a little too early for Arsenal’s returning full-backs, Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney. Though the duo recently featured for the U-23s, they still look a bit short on match fitness, meaning that the fixture against Manchester United next Monday might present the pair with a better chance of making the squad.
Maitland-Niles, after his dismissal over the weekend, will miss out through suspension but with Chambers in the ranks, the Gunners wouldn’t be hit too hard.
Arsenal XI (Probable): Bernd Leno; Calum Chambers, Shkodran Mustafi, Rob Holding, Sead Kolasinac; Lucas Torreira, Joe Willock; Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith-Rowe, Mesut Ozil; Bukayo Saka
Players to watch out for
Lucas Torreira
In the 2018 off-season, Lucas Torreira arrived from Sampdoria and immediately fit into the Emirates landscape like a glove. The Uruguayan also popped up with a few crucial goals in the first half of the season, in the process, establishing himself as a firm favourite among the Arsenal faithful.
However, his second season in North London hasn’t gotten off to the smoothest of starts. The midfielder’s late return from international duty coupled with the superlative performances of Guendouzi have meant that Torreira has been consigned to a place on the bench, more often than not.
That is one aspect that the Uruguayan will want to change. On his day, Torreira is one of the best defensive midfielders in the league and is capable of providing an offensive threat too. Thus, he would be hoping to bring his A-game to the fore against Nottingham on Tuesday as he looks to wrestle back his place in Emery’s first-choice eleven.
Bukayo Saka
The Englishman was thrust into the deep end in the Europa League encounter against Frankfurt. However, the teenager responded with a virtuoso display as he bagged a couple of assists and even made the net bulge once.
The most impressive aspect of his game though, was the fearlessness he showcased, despite playing at a daunting European venue.
Whenever he received the ball, he looked to get on the front foot and that sort of confidence was refreshing to witness for Gooners, especially at a time when wingers are at a premium for the North London outfit.
Saka continued his rich vein of form against Aston Villa at the weekend where he portrayed similar attributes and drove the Gunners forward in the first half.
With a Nottingham side lying in wait on Tuesday, he would be licking his lips at the prospect of laying down another marker.
Match Prediction
Even though the Gunners might field a second-string team, they boast the requisite quality to swat away the visitors’ challenge. Moreover, the youngsters would be looking to strengthen their credentials in light of the encouragement Emery has given them this season.
Though Nottingham arrive at the Emirates having strung together a few victories themselves, their challenge might just be extinguished by Arsenal’s superior offensive pedigree.
However, a clean sheet, unsurprisingly, doesn’t look on the cards.
Score Prediction: Arsenal 3:1 Nottingham Forest
Betting Tips
Arsenal win: 1.40
Nottingham Forest win: 6.50
Draw: 4.50
