Arsenal take on Nottingham Forest at the Emirates in their fourth match of the new Premier League season on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners will be desperate to claim all three points after losing away at Liverpool before the international break, and with games against Manchester City and Newcastle to come in the next two weeks.
Liverpool edged past Arsenal before the break courtesy of a stunning free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai, in a match which has prompted discourse around Mikel Arteta’s conservative approach.
These conversations are unlikely to be raised in the clash against Forest, with the North Londoners likely to dominate possession and territory on Saturday in N5.
Theo Walcott makes Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest prediction
Arsenal beat Forest 3-0 in this fixture last season, in a game which saw Nuno Espirito Santo’s side sit deep and try to frustrate the Gunners.
The match on Saturday could unfold in a very different way from this after Espirito Santo was sacked by the East Midlands club on Monday night.
Ange Postecoglou has been appointed as the Portuguese head coach’s successor, and the Australian will be in the dugout at the Emirates.
If the ex-Tottenham boss instils his principles from the outset, then Arsenal should have plenty of space to exploit in behind Forest’s back-line.
However, former Gunners winger Theo Walcott isn’t particularly confident of his old team’s ability to blow Postecoglou’s side away, citing the timing of the fixture as a reason to be somewhat pessimistic.
Speaking on the Overlap US, Walcott predicted Arsenal to beat Forest 1-0.
“I always hate games after the international break,” he said.
“Sorry, they always start off pretty sloppy. I will go for a 1-0 to Arsenal.”
Who will start in Arsenal’s front three against Nottingham Forest?
The majority of Arsenal’s starting eleven picks itself for this fixture, although there are some question marks around the front three.
Bukayo Saka will be absent with a hamstring injury, while Kai Havertz remains out with a serious knee injury.
The latter’s absence likely means Viktor Gyokeres will retain his place up front, although it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Arteta call upon Leandro Trossard during the match if the Swede is as peripheral as he has been in the last few matches.
Meanwhile, Madueke will retain his place on the right after impressing at Anfield in this role.
On the left, Arteta has a decision to make. Gabriel Martinelli struggled against Liverpool and is out of favour with the Arsenal fans after not performing well for several months now.
This should mean Eze is granted his first start in a red and white shirt, deployed off the left wing, the role he is expected to fulfil regularly in N5.
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