Arsenal must respond to defeat against Liverpool by claiming all three points against Nottingham Forest. The Reds are now managed by former Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou, who is yet to better Mikel Arteta during his time in England.
The Gunnersperhaps expected to face a stubborn, low block on Saturday, and that may still be true, but Postecoglou’s sides have become known for their outlandish style of high-pressing and sometimes suicidal positioning. This could present an opportunity but also a risk as Forest possess plenty of quality on all areas of the pitch.
There has been little to separate the two teams in recent seasons, with both sides proving tough opponents for the other. Forest recently ended the Gunners’ title charge in the 2022/23 season, after defeating the North Londoners in the FA Cup twice in the previous decade.
Arsenal will take confidence in the fact that Forest have looked shaky defensively so far this season, but Postecoglou’s Tricky Trees could still spring an untimely surprise upon the Gunners.
The international break has often received criticism from fans for disrupting the campaign, but Arsenal’s players have been in electric form for their countries.
Mikel Merino, far from the first name on the team sheet at the Emirates Stadium, bagged four goals for Spain, including a hat trick against Turkey for the European champions.
(Credit: Ozan Kose/ Getty Images).
Martin Odegaard contributed towards three goals for Norway in an 11-1 thumping of Moldova, whilst Declan Rice and Noni Madueke were influential in England’s two victories against Andorra and Serbia respectively.
Odegaard and Rice will undoubtedly remain stalwarts for Arteta, but the form of Merino and Madueke leaves the Arsenal manager with an interesting dilemma. Merino has shown he can contribute to goals from anywhere: set pieces, inside the box and runs from deep.
Madueke has shown glimpses of the player that football fans know he is, but he came to life in Belgrade, causing the home defence no end of problems: a defence that included Nikola Milenkovic, the Gunners’ opponent at the weekend and the man who received a straight red card for fouling Harry Kane when he was through on goal, a slam-dunk decision.
While it is unclear whether the likes of Merino and Madueke will feature against Forest, it is promising that there is real competitiveness among the squad.
In the defeat at Anfield, Eberechi Eze made a brief cameo from the bench. He combined well with Odegaard, but the attacking duo were unable to break down Liverpool’s strong defensive structure after the Reds took the lead.
The lacklustre performances from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard should see Eze make his long-awaited home debut, something that has been long in the making for the player who has worked extremely hard to make this happen after being released at the age of 13.
(Credit: Stuart MacFarlane/ Getty Images).
There is hope that the £67 million man can revitalise Arsenal’s left-hand side and combine with the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, who has struggled to be involved in the two high-profile away matches against Manchester United and Liverpool. Eze’s willingness to take on his man and drive forward should see the Swede have a plethora of chances created for him.
Arsenal may need to be adaptive against Forest
The arrival of Ange Postecoglou at the City Ground may present Arteta with a new challenge. Will the Reds diverge from their tried and trusted defensively sound structure, or will the Australian’s first team reflect his ideas about how football should be played?
Whichever approach Forest decide to adopt, the Gunners must have a plan of action.
Arsenal have notoriously struggled against low block systems, so the arrival of Postecoglou may suit the North Londoners. However, that notion was quashed when they demolished Leeds 5-0 in their last home game.
The Reds have the prolific Chris Wood as a frontman with Callum Hudson-Odoi and Dan Ndoye to support him in areas he may lack; notably pace. Arsenal will need to be vigilant as the visitors will undoubtedly look to cause problems on the counterattack.
An exciting clash awaits both sides, and fans may not know how the game will be played until it kicks off, thanks to the eventful period between game week three and four.