Premier League: Ange Won’t Have a Soft Landing Spot in Nottingham Forest Bow

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest have hired a new manager during the international break, as they replaced the embattled Nuno Espirito Santo with Ange Postecoglou, and the former Tottenham manager is up for a tough debut at the helm.

The Tricky Trees will visit the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium this Saturday, hoping to end their two-game winless run. After winning their first Premier League match against Brentford (3-1), Nottingham Forest drew 1-1 against Crystal Palace and lost 3-0 to West Ham United. They are currently 10th in the table with four points, level with Manchester United, Brighton, and Leeds United.

Arsenal are among the top teams in the English top-flight with six points from their first three games. Mikel Arteta’s side is fresh from a 1-0 loss against Liverpool after back-to-back wins over Manchester United (1-0) and Leeds United (5-0).

This figures to be an entertaining clash, and SBOTOP is here for the match preview.

 

Talking Points

Arsenal suffer huge injury blow defensively

The early fitness concerns continue to haunt Arsenal, as they will likely miss up to five key players against Nottingham Forest. However, their biggest lineup blow is on the defensive end, as centre-back William Saliba sustained an ankle injury against Liverpool five minutes into the match.

The Frenchman has been one of Mikel Arteta’s most important players. He brings athleticism and versatility to the Gunners’ backline, so fans are hoping he’ll be back at 100 per cent fitness sooner rather than later. The last time Saliba was out for a significant time due to injuries, Arsenal lost their pole position in the Premier League standings and had to settle for second place.

​Saliba’s absence means more playing time for Cristhian Mosquera. The 21-year-old Spaniard was one of the team’s brightest spots during the Liverpool defeat, so he’ll likely start alongside Gabriel, Jurrien Timber, and Riccardo Calafiori at the back.

Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Christian Norgaard, and Gabriel Jesus will also miss the Nottingham Forest game. However, Arsenal have Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Zubimendi, and Eberechi Eze to cover for them in the meantime.

 

Postecoglou has big dreams for Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest sacked Nuno Espirito Santo, as the former head coach has had a contentious relationship with team owner Evangelos Marinakis and chief executive Edu. With Ange Postecoglou taking over, the Tricky Trees are hoping that the Australian will continue to build what Nuno started.

Postecoglou is expected to bring his swashbuckling, free-scoring brand of football to Nottingham Forest, who played pragmatically under Nuno. This should benefit their attackers, Chris Wood, Dan Ndoye, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

It also helps Postecoglou that he recently steered Tottenham to European glory last season by winning the Europa League before he was sacked. Nottingham Forest, ironically, will play in the Europa League this season, and they need all the help they can get.

Fortunately for Postecoglou, he doesn’t have many injuries to deal with (unlike Arsenal), with only Nicolas Dominguez on the sidelines due to a knee injury he suffered before the start of this season.

 

History

Arsenal have won their last six home games against Nottingham Forest across all competitions by a whopping aggregate tally of 19-2. Overall, the Gunners are undefeated in 14 home games against the Tricky Trees (W10, D4) since a 3-1 loss in March 1989. Nottingham Forest have won only two out of 16 Premier League matches against Arsenal (D4, L10), with both victories coming at the City Ground in the 1996-97 and 2022-23 seasons.

Liverpool snapped Arsenal’s four-game winning streak in the Premier League last weekend. However, Arsenal have not lost consecutive games in the English top-flight since December 2023.

Nottingham Forest haven’t secured a clean sheet in nine consecutive Premier League away matches since keeping three straight in December and January last season.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2025 odds have the Gunners beating the Tricky Trees this Saturday in Ange Postecoglou’s debut. Arsenal are 1.34 favourites to win, while Nottingham Forest are huge 7.30 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.53 in the 1X2 market. Arsenal should see this through, despite their injuries, because they now have more depth.

Besides our recommended bet, football fans and bettors can expect to get their usual dose of Premier League 2025 highlights, making options like Total Goal 2-3 at 2.04, Over 2.50 at 1.71, and Over 2.75 at 1.92 viable to add to the parlay. Meanwhile, a Correct Score of 0-0 – the result of their most recent league encounter – is a long shot at 13.50 your bet.

   

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