Infoinsport.com – After successfully lifting another trophy at Wembley in the sunshine, Arsenal will commence their newest attempt to dominate the Premier League by playing against Nottingham Forest at home on Saturday during lunchtime.
The Gunners put an end to their Manchester City hoodoo by winning the Community Shield last weekend, and now they seek revenge against the team that officially shattered their hopes of winning the title last season.
Arsenal and Mikel Arteta discovered the new rules concerning gamesmanship and time-wasting through personal experience during the Community Shield match against Manchester City last weekend. Despite facing pressure from the Gunners, Manchester City managed to take control of the game with a remarkable goal from Cole Palmer.
However, the North London giants swiftly took advantage of the recently implemented regulations. This was evident when Leandro Trossard’s shot, which was deflected, resulted in a goal during the 11th minute of injury time in the second half. This was followed by the Gunners’ consecutive victory in a penalty shootout. Additionally, they had previously defended their Emirates Cup title by defeating Monaco in a penalty shootout.
The ongoing debate regarding whether the Community Shield should be considered as a significant achievement persists. However, Arsenal’s celebrations during the event were indicative as they managed to put an end to their series of disappointing losses against the treble winners, which potentially provided them with a substantial psychological advantage leading into another pursuit for the title.
During an outstanding 2022-23 season, Arsenal surpassed the expectations of many fans, pundits, and journalists. However, a couple of injuries to crucial players caused things to go wrong. In response, the Emirates board has decided to address this issue by investing over £200m in summer transfers.
The Gunners should aim to shut up shop at home more frequently than they did last season, which will require a significant investment. In the 2022-23 campaign, they only managed to keep a clean sheet at the Emirates Stadium on four occasions, with one of those being against the team they faced on the opening day. However, their impressive 5-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day demonstrated their potential to achieve this goal.
The Gunners suffered a 5-0 defeat against Forest in North London, but this loss became less significant when they traveled to the City Ground in May. Steve Cooper’s team secured a second-placed finish, while also deserving to maintain their Premier League status. This was achieved thanks to a crucial goal scored by Taiwo Awoniyi, which will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most important moments in his career.
It was unthinkable for a Forest side, who had added 25 new faces to their roster throughout the 2022-23 season, to experience an immediate demotion back down to the Championship. Despite some players having a greater impact than others, Cooper dismissed any brief discussions of termination and successfully led the Tricky Trees to another season of top-flight football.
The Forest team have faced several continental opponents in preparation for the new season. However, only two out of their seven pre-season matches resulted in Cooper’s men winning. Additionally, they were unable to win or even score in their last four warm-up games.
After losing three consecutive matches against Leeds United, PSV Eindhoven, and Rennes, Forest managed to secure a decent 0-0 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt’s headquarters. However, their low scoring performance of only three goals in seven warm-up matches might raise some concerns.
In addition, Forest was the worst performing team away from home in the 2022-23 Premier League season. Cooper’s team only managed to earn a meager eight points when playing against rivals on their territory. It has been 34 years since the Tricky Trees last defeated Arsenal on their own field, achieving a 3-1 victory at Highbury during the 1988-89 First Division. However, it is worth noting that Arsenal went on to secure the championship that year, making the match memorable.
Prediction Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Trossard, Martinelli
Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:
Turner; Worrall, Boly, McKenna; Aurier, Yates, Danilo, Mangala, Aina; Gibbs-White, Johnson
Football Prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Although Arsenal struggled with keeping clean sheets at the Emirates last season, the Gunners should start the new season perfectly as a few of Forest’s attackers are still not fully fit.
After their success in the Community Shield, spirits in Arteta’s camp will already be very high, and Turner’s return to North London is likely to be a miserable one as the hosts comfortably win their opening match with a few goals.
