Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal – Premier League: TV channel, team news, lineups and prediction

After a reduced schedule, the Premier League returns with a full midweek round of fixtures, beginning with Arsenal’s trip to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening.

Nuno Espirito Santo made his utter disdain for FA Cup replays abundantly clear after his side were held by Blackpool in the third round. Forest defeated the League One outfit in the rearranged fixture only to draw with Bristol City in the fourth round on Friday night. “We have to play it,” Nuno sighed.

Arsenal didn’t make it beyond the third round, losing at home to Liverpool earlier this month, and have enjoyed more than a week’s preparation for Tuesday’s fixture after hammering five goals past Crystal Palace on 20 January.

Here’s everything you need to know about the return of England’s top flight.

Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal H2H Record (Last Five Games)

Current form (all competitions)

Nottingham Forest have more players (six) away at the Africa Cup of Nations than any other Premier League team. Several clubmates will go head-to-head when Senegal face hosts Ivory Coast in the round of 16 on Monday night but that hardly leaves the defeated players enough time to appear against Arsenal.

Taiwo Awoniyi may well have been part of Nigeria’s squad but will not be back from a groin injury until February. Left-back Nuno Tavares is on loan from Arsenal and unable to face his parent club but goalkeeper Matt Turner could feature after he was sold by the Gunners last summer.

Felipe is unlikely to be available but there is optimism that Anthony Elanga may have recovered from a hamstring issue by Tuesday.

Nottingham Forest predicted lineup vs Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Turner; Montiel, Omobamidele, Murillo, Toffolo; Danilo, Mangala; Dominguez, Yates, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.

Mohamed Elneny and Takehiro Tomiyasu are away on international duty with Egypt and Japan respectively. Long-term absentees Thomas Partey and Fabio Vieira are tentatively inching towards full fitness but Jurrien Timber still has some way to go.

Mikel Arteta took off Declan Rice and goalscorer Gabriel Magalhaes in the 5-0 thumping of Crystal Palace after the pair sustained a couple of knocks. Both have missed training sessions leading up to the league match as doubts loom over their availability. Although, Arteta has played down the severity of either injury.

Arsenal predicted lineup vs Nottingham Forest (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Jorginho, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.

Arsenal may be 13 places and 23 points better off than Forest in the Premier League table but the City Ground has not been a welcoming venue for the Gunners of late. The north London outfit have lost their last three matches on the banks of the River Trent. It was an away defeat to Forest last May that mathematically ended Arsenal’s title ambitions – and secured safety for the hosts.

Since taking over from Steve Cooper in December, Nuno’s surprisingly swashbuckling Forest have scored 14 goals and shipped 12 in seven games. If the Midlands outfit is going to remain quite so open, Arsenal have the well-rested players to take advantage – especially if they can break the deadlock early.

Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-3 Arsenal

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