Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Match Preview
A classic “Top vs Bottom” clash takes place at the City Ground on Sunday, 18 January 2026, as relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest host league leaders Arsenal. The Gunners are flying high, sitting top of the table with 49 points and fresh off a thrilling 3–2 EFL Cup Semi-Final win over Chelsea on Thursday. However, Mikel Arteta’s side faces a grueling turnaround of just 72 hours.
Nottingham Forest, currently 17th with 21 points, are fighting for their lives. Nuno Espírito Santo’s men have had a full week to prepare following their heartbreaking FA Cup exit to Wrexham. With the City Ground crowd behind them and Arsenal potentially fatigued, Forest will view this as a golden opportunity to cause an upset, despite their poor recent form (4 losses in last 5).
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Match Info
- Competition: Premier League (Matchday 22)
- Venue: City Ground, Nottingham (Capacity: 30,404)
- Date: Sunday, 18 January 2026
- Kickoff: 14:00 GMT | 15:00 CET | 09:00 ET
- Referee: Michael Oliver (ENG)
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Match Stakes
Nottingham Forest (17th — 21 pts):
- Win → Moves to 24 pts; provides huge breathing room from the relegation zone (18th place).
- Draw → A bonus point against the league leaders; builds confidence for the survival fight.
- Loss → Keeps them perilously close to the drop; extends their poor run to 5 losses in 6 games.
Arsenal (1st — 49 pts):
- Win → Moves to 52 pts; maintains their lead at the summit and continues the unbeaten start to 2026.
- Draw → Opens the door for Manchester City or Liverpool to close the gap.
- Loss → A shock stumbling block; questions about squad depth and fatigue will resurface.
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Team News
Nottingham Forest:
- Wood C. — Out (Knee Injury – Top Scorer Missing)
- Yates R. — Out (Hamstring Injury – Captain Missing)
- Zinchenko O. — Out (Loan Agreement – Ineligible vs Parent Club)
- John Victor — Questionable (Injury – GK situation monitored)
- Tactical Shift: Without Chris Wood’s hold-up play, Forest may opt for a more mobile front line with Taiwo Awoniyi (if fit) or Anthony Elanga playing through the middle to exploit Arsenal’s high line.
Arsenal:
- Calafiori R. — Out (Injury)
- Hincapie P. — Out (Injury – Defensive Depth Tested)
- Mosquera C. — Out (Ankle Injury)
- Dowman M. — Out (Ankle Injury)
- Fatigue Management: Having played a high-intensity derby vs Chelsea on Thursday, Arteta may rotate. Leandro Trossard or Raheem Sterling (if at club) could start to freshen up the attack.
- Defense: With Calafiori and Hincapie out, the back four picks itself: White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber.
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)
Nottingham Forest
- 10/01 — 3–3 vs Wrexham (FA Cup – Lost on Pens)
- 07/01 — 2–1 vs West Ham (Premier League)
- 03/01 — 1–3 vs Aston Villa (Premier League)
- 31/12 — 0–2 vs Everton (Premier League)
- 27/12 — 1–2 vs Man City (Premier League)
Arsenal
- 15/01 — 3–2 vs Chelsea (EFL Cup)
- 11/01 — 4–1 vs Portsmouth (FA Cup)
- 09/01 — 0–0 vs Liverpool (Premier League)
- 03/01 — 3–2 vs Bournemouth (Premier League)
- 31/12 — 4–1 vs Aston Villa (Premier League)
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)
- 13/09/2025 — Arsenal 3–0 Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
- 27/02/2025 — Nottingham Forest 0–0 Arsenal (Premier League)
- 23/11/2024 — Arsenal 3–0 Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
- 31/01/2024 — Nottingham Forest 1–2 Arsenal (Premier League)
- 12/08/2023 — Arsenal 2–1 Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)
Nottingham Forest (4-5-1)
Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Aina; Elanga, Ward-Prowse, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Awoniyi
Arsenal (4-3-3)
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Rice, Merino, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Impact Bench
Nottingham Forest: Jota Silva (Creativity), Dominguez (Energy)
Arsenal: Trossard (Clutch goals), Jesus (Chaos factor), Nwaneri (Youth spark)
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Tactical Analysis
Nottingham Forest
Nuno will likely set up a low block (5-4-1 out of possession) to frustrate Arsenal. Without Ryan Yates to break up play, they risk being passed around in midfield. Their best hope is the transition speed of Elanga and Hudson-Odoi against Arsenal’s tired legs. They must be clinical with set-pieces (Ward-Prowse delivery) as chances will be scarce.
Arsenal
Fatigue is the biggest enemy. Arsenal dominated possession against Chelsea but conceded twice. They need to control the tempo early to silence the City Ground. Without Chris Wood to bully their center-backs, Saliba and Gabriel can play aggressively high. The key will be patience; if they don’t score early, Forest will grow in confidence.
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Key Battles
- Gibbs-White vs Rice — Forest’s creative spark vs the league’s best DM.
- Elanga vs White — Pace vs Positioning on the flank.
- Murillo vs Havertz — Physical duel in the box; Havertz’s movement vs Murillo’s aggression.
- Hudson-Odoi vs Timber — Can CHO isolate the Arsenal left-back?
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Spotlight Players
Nottingham Forest — Morgan Gibbs-White
With Wood and Yates out, Gibbs-White is the undisputed leader. He needs to produce a moment of magic or win fouls in dangerous areas for Ward-Prowse.
Arsenal — Bukayo Saka
He has played a lot of minutes recently. However, against a Forest defense that has conceded 34 goals, Saka’s 1v1 ability is the most likely route to goal. One moment of brilliance from him could decide a tight game.
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Prediction
Nottingham Forest 0–2 Arsenal
Despite the short rest, Arsenal’s quality is simply too high for a depleted Forest side missing their top scorer (Wood) and captain (Yates). Forest are leaking goals (conceded 3 vs Wrexham, 3 vs Villa), and Arsenal’s attack is ruthless. It might be slow to start, but the Gunners should secure a professional win.
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Betting Insights
- Arsenal to Win — High Probability.
- Bukayo Saka to Score — Likely.
- Nottingham Forest Under 0.5 Goals — Plausible (Missing Wood reduces threat significantly).
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — Where to Watch
- UK: Sky Sports Main Event / Premier League
- USA: USA Network / NBC Sports App
- Canada: FuboTV
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal — FAQs
Q: When is the Forest vs Arsenal match?
A: The match kicks off on Sunday, 18 January 2026, at 14:00 GMT.
Q: Is Chris Wood playing?
A: No. He is out with a knee injury.
Q: Can Zinchenko play against Arsenal?
A: No. As an Arsenal player on loan at Forest, he is ineligible to play against his parent club.
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