Arsenal aim to break goal drought against Nottingham Forest in Premier League clash
Arsenal travel to the City Ground on Sunday, October 18, for a 4:30 pm (15:30 GMT) Premier League match against Nottingham Forest. Al Jazeera Sport will provide a live text commentary starting at 12:30 GMT.
The Gunners have failed to find the net in their two most recent trips to Forest, both games ending 0‑0. Manager Mikel Arteta said his side learned lessons from what he called an “extremely average” display at Brighton before the international break, and they returned to winning form with a 2‑1 comeback victory over Leeds last weekend. That win followed a 3‑0 defeat at the Amex Stadium in March, the first loss of the season for the champions. Arsenal also recorded a 3‑0 home win over Lille in the Champions League earlier this week.
Forest, under new boss Oliver Glasner, secured a 3‑1 win over Crystal Palace last weekend, with Daichi Kamada scoring his first Premier League goal. The Austrian manager, who guided Palace to an FA Cup final win over Manchester City in 2025 and a UEFA Conference League triumph in May, left Selhurst Park after a dispute over transfer policy and took charge of Forest. The club sit 15th in the league, while Arsenal sit second, three points behind Manchester City.
In the previous league match, Arsenal survived a scare against Leeds. James Justin put Leeds ahead in the 55th minute, but Riccardo Calafiori equalised from a Ben White header seven minutes later. Substitute Bruno Guimarães then struck the winner six minutes after coming on, giving the Gunners their fifth win in six league games.
Forest’s last league outing saw Dan Ndoye open the scoring in the third minute, but Kamada levelled before halftime. Jefferson Lerma restored Palace’s lead in stoppage time, and Yeremy Pino’s goal in the 59th minute sealed a 3‑1 defeat for Forest.
Arteta said, “We’re going to try really hard to score goals and to prevent goals as well. It’s going to be a really tough match, they’re an extremely well‑coached team. We know that, we already have experience with Oliver in the past and they’re a team that at home can create a really special momentum, so we are ready for it.” Glasner added, “In every game this season Arsenal were outrunning the opposition. It’s incredible. The effort and the mindset Mikel has created there is incredible. This makes it so tough to play against them and you see it from every single player. They have so many world‑class players they can react from the bench.”
The Opta model rates Arsenal as clear favourites, assigning them a 58.3 percent chance of victory, while Forest have a 20.4 percent probability and a draw sits at 21.3 percent. The two clubs have met 109 times, with Arsenal winning 56, Forest 29 and 24 draws. In their last five meetings Arsenal have won three and drawn two.
The most recent encounter, a 0‑0 draw at the City Ground in January, saw Arsenal dominate large periods but fail to convert chances. Substitute Bukayo Saka headed a Declan Rice cross towards the far post, only to be denied by a fingertip save from Forest keeper Matz Sels.
Forest’s squad news includes striker Igor Jesus and defender Nicolo Savona, both unavailable with calf and knee injuries respectively. Playmaker Morgan Gibbs‑White is doubtful with a minor muscle issue.