Can Arsenal do it again or even take it a step further? That is the question on the lips of most Arsenal fans as they commence their 2023-2024 Premier League campaign on Saturday, August 12, 2023.
On the said date, Nottingham Forest who managed to escape relegation last season will travel to North London to take on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners are going into the game with a motivated spirit following their victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield barely a week ago.
The victory is seen as a good revenge for Arsenal against Manchester City who came from behind to win the 2022-2023 Premier League title ahead of the Gunners.
Recall that Arsenal spent over 200 days at the top of the league table but a run of bad games in the last two months of the season turned the table around in favour of Manchester City who suddenly began to enjoy an unprecedented winning streak.
As Arsenal kick off their 2023-2024 Premier League campaign at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Arsenal fans would hope for a winning start and a consistent journey all through the season.
The fact that coach Mikel Arteta has made some ambitious additions to the squad – Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber – the Spanish coach would have little or no excuse if he doesn’t win the league title this season.
On the other hand, Nottingham Forest who are also been very busy in the transfer market would want to prove a point that they are set to have a better season.
Recall that Forest struggled all through last season but managed to escape relegation in the last two months of the campaign after the return of Taiwo Awoniyi who scored in three straight games to ensure Forest’s safety.
Ahead of the new campaign, Nottingham Forest have added new players Anthony Elanga, Chris Wood, and ex-Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner which means that it might not be business as usual for Arsenal who defeated Forest 5-0 at the Emirates last season.
Arsenal Vs Nottingham Forest: Team News
Gabriel Jesus will miss the opening few weeks of the new season after having knee surgery, adding to Arsenal’s injury woes ahead of the new campaign.
Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf) and Mohamed Elneny (knee) did not participate in preseason friendlies as they are still recovering from the injuries they suffered in the 2022–2023 season.
Also, Jorginho (knee), Folarin Balogun (foot), Reiss Nelson (toe), and Albert Sambi Lokonga (muscle) are still in the treatment room.
The Gunners must complete Raya’s £30 million signing before the goalie can join the squad and might happen before the end of this weekend.
For Forest, the injury problems from last season have not disappeared. Felipe and Wayne Hennessey are both out with knee injuries, but Omar Richards, who has been out for a season with a hernia, is almost ready to make a comeback. Brennan Johnson should be in good health, though Moussa Niakhate (elbow) and Taiwo Awoniyi (ankle) have some concerns.
Head To Head:
Arsenal and Nottingham Forest have met 103 times. In those meetings, the Gunners have recorded 52 wins, while Nottingham Forest, managed to beat the Gunners 29 times, their latest victory over Arsenal came in May.
Twenty-two draws have been recorded between the two teams so far.
Prediction:
From their head-to-head above, and the caliber of players available for the clash on Saturday, Arsenal have an 82 percent chance of beating Nottingham Forest and the probability of the game ending in a draw is just 12 percent.
Based on this, the game will most likely end 3-0 in favour of Arsenal.
