Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest preview, team news and predicted lineup

The stage is set for Saturday’s early Premier League kickoff, as Ange Postecoglou leads Nottingham Forest to the Emirates Stadium to take on Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. This marks Forest’s first test under their new manager, the former Tottenham Hotspur head coach, while Arsenal have their sights firmly set on claiming the top spot in the Premier League table.

Nottingham Forest’s turbulent start to the season reached its climax with the inevitable departure of Nuno Espirito Santo, whose fractured relationship with the board proved irreparable. In response, Forest moved quickly to appoint Europa League winner Postecoglou earlier this week.

Reports suggest that Santo’s falling out with headline-grabbing president Evangelos Marinakis—reportedly stemming from personal tensions with ex-Arsenal sporting director and Forest’s Head of Global Football, Edu—prompted the change. Marinakis has now brought in a manager with a proven track record of success, though Postecoglou’s philosophy is a stark departure from his predecessor’s.

While Postecoglou’s Spurs were known for their unpredictability, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have embraced a more measured and controlled style—a strategy that nearly earned them a valuable point against Liverpool just before the international break. However, their unbeaten run for the 2025-26 season was ended by a stunning late free kick from Dominik Szoboszlai, reigniting criticism of Arteta’s supposedly conservative tactics, despite statistics suggesting otherwise.

There are conflicting reports regarding William Saliba’s ankle injury as to whether he will come sooner than the originally forecaster four-week layoff for the French defender. Regardless, Saliba is expected to make way for Cristhian Mosquera—who performed well at Anfield—for Saturday’s match. Ben White could also return from his own knock, providing Mikel Arteta with another defensive option.

Christian Norgaard joins White as a doubt due to a minor issue, while Gabriel Jesus (ACL), Kai Havertz (knee), and Bukayo Saka (hamstring) are all ruled out for this fixture. The Gunners emerged from the international break without further injuries, and Saturday is likely to see Eberechi Eze make his first start for Arsenal after Gabriel Martinelli’s underwhelming display at Liverpool.

For the visitors, manager Ange Postecoglou faces problems at full-back following Ola Aina’s recent hamstring injury, sustained while playing for Nigeria against South Africa earlier this month. On-loan Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko is ineligible to face his parent club, so new signing Nicolo Savona may be handed a debut. Forest will also be without Nicolas Dominguez (knee) for this game.

Arsenal : Raya; Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Eze

Forest : Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Yates; McAtee, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood

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