The Premier League matchday 22 clash between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal will take place on 17 January at the City Ground. Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest played away to West Ham last time out and managed to beat one of the relegation candidates 2:1. That result ended a four-match losing run in the Premier League. It also marked the first time in five league matches that the team scored more than once. The club remain 17th in the standings, but have extended their cushion over the relegation zone to seven points. It is also worth noting that the team have scored just 21 goals in the current campaign, and only Wolverhampton (15) have a worse attacking record.
- The club’s all-or-nothing run in the league now stands at 11 matches (5 wins and 6 defeats).
- Exactly two or three goals have been scored in 7 of Nottingham Forest’s last 10 Premier League games.
- Nottingham Forest have failed to score in the first half in five consecutive Premier League matches.
Potential Nottingham Forest Lineup (4-5-1)*
Matz Sels – Ola Aina, Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic, Neco Williams – Nicolas Dominguez, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Omari Hutchinson, Callum Hudson-Odoi – Igor Jesus.
Injured for the home side are midfielder Ryan Yates, forward Chris Wood and goalkeeper John Victor. Defender Oleksandr Zinchenko will not feature due to the terms of his loan agreement.
Arsenal
Arsenal hosted Liverpool a week ago and managed to share the spoils with the reigning champions (0:0). Prior to that, the club had won five consecutive Premier League matches. It was also only the second time this season that the Londoners failed to score and, interestingly, on both occasions they were unable to beat Liverpool’s goalkeeper. It is also worth highlighting that Arsenal have lost just once in their last 18 Premier League matches (13 wins and 4 draws). The team continue to lead the competition confidently and are six points clear of their nearest challengers.
- Both teams to score has landed in 8 of the Londoners’ previous 11 Premier League games.
- At least three goals have been scored in 5 of Arsenal’s last 7 league matches.
- The team have not lost the second half in 18 straight Premier League matches (11 wins and 7 draws).
Potential Arsenal Lineup (4-3-3)*
David Raya – Gabriel Magalhaes, Piero Hincapie, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba – Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard – Leandro Trossard, Viktor Gyokeres, Bukayo Saka.
Defenders Christian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori will miss out through injury.
Referee
Michael Oliver (England)
Matches – 16 (the Premier League, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second cautions) – 42;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.6;
Red cards shown – 1;
Fouls per match on average – 22;
Penalties – 6%.
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal: Match Prediction
Nottingham Forest are no longer even in contention to finish in the top half of the table. For the team, it is far more important to pick up points and avoid defeat against their closest rivals in the lower reaches of the standings, while also trying to preserve the sizeable cushion they already have over the bottom three. We think the visitors will come out on top in this one, as they are in excellent form, rarely drop points and boast the best defence in the Premier League. It is unlikely the Londoners will allow the opposition to score more than once, while they themselves should find the net more often.
Nottingham Forest have not exactly given their supporters much to celebrate even at home. In their last 14 Premier League home matches, the club have recorded just three wins (2 draws and 9 defeats). Arsenal are not as strong away from home as they are at the Emirates Stadium, but they have lost only twice in their last 24 Premier League away games (13 wins and 9 draws). It is also worth recalling how these sides have fared against each other in the league — in the last five meetings, the Gunners have four wins, with one draw.
Prediction: Arsenal to win
* For each team, the starting XI listed is from their previous match in this competition.
