A year ago
Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal - Preview ,prediction, team news, lineups, missing players
Arsenal will be aiming to maintain their hopes of a Premier League title push when they face Nottingham Forest, who are battling relegation, in their penultimate game of the season. Last weekend saw contrasting outcomes for the two teams, with Arsenal suffering a 3-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion while Nottingham Forest managed a 2-2 draw against Chelsea.
Nottingham Forest surprised many by leaving Stamford Bridge with a point, especially considering they could have secured all three points during a frantic 11-minute period in the second half. Taiwo Awoniyi's header gave Forest the lead at half-time, but Raheem Sterling's brace turned the tide in Chelsea's favor. However, Awoniyi responded with another header just four minutes after Sterling's second goal, sealing a valuable draw.
In terms of team news, Forest coach Cooper will be relieved that no additional players picked up injuries at Stamford Bridge, as he already has numerous absentees to contend with. Several players, including Dean Henderson, Chris Wood, Giulian Biancone, Neco Williams, Omar Richards, Scott McKenna, Jack Colback, and Jonjo Shelvey, are all expected to miss out. Gustavo Scarpa and Emmanuel Dennis will require further assessments. Cooper may stick with the successful setup he deployed against Chelsea, employing a 3-5-2 formation to counter Arsenal's attacking threat.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are dealing with their own fitness concerns. Gabriel Martinelli is set to miss the remaining two games of the season due to an ankle injury sustained against Brighton. There were also reports that William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko would be sidelined for the rest of the campaign, but manager Arteta denied those rumors. While Saliba and Zinchenko are unlikely to be fit for the Forest clash, Mohamed Elneny and Takehiro Tomiyasu will also be absent due to knee injuries. Leandro Trossard could be given an opportunity to make amends for his underwhelming performance against Brighton.
Potential starting lineups for Nottingham Forest could include Navas, Worrall, Niakhate, Felipe, Aurier, Yates, Danilo, Mangala, Lodi, Gibbs-White, and Awoniyi. Meanwhile, Arsenal might field Ramsdale, White, Kiwior, Gabriel, Tierney, Odegaard, Xhaka, Partey, Saka, Jesus, and Trossard.
In terms of predictions, a 2-0 victory for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest is expected.
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:?Navas; Worrall, Niakhate, Felipe; Aurier, Yates, Danilo, Mangala, Lodi; Gibbs-White, Awoniyi
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; White, Kiwior, Gabriel, Tierney; Odegaard, Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Jesus, Trossard
PREDICTIONS : Nottingham Forest 0-2 Arsenal
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