Arsenal are set to take on Nottingham Forest in their next Premier League match, in a much tougher meeting than would have been previously anticipated.
The Gunners beat Nottingham Forest both home and away last season, and Nuno Espirito Santo’s side finished in 17th, avoiding relegation by six points.
Mikel Arteta’s side entered the November international break in poor form, having failed to win their last four Premier League games in a row, but Forest will not provide easy opposition for Arsenal.
Forest have defied all pre-season expectations as they are currently fifth in the league, level on points with Arsenal, and there cannot be any room for complacency in their upcoming clash at the Emirates Stadium.
Nottingham Forest lead the Premier League for minutes trailed, Arsenal in second
Despite their poor recent form, Arsenal’s strong performers are in defence, which has meant that they have trailed for just 130 minutes of Premier League action this season.
Erling Haaland scored early on in Arsenal’s controversial draw with Manchester City, before the Gunners conceded first against Southampton, Bournemouth and Newcastle.
This is a lower total than 18 other Premier League teams, but upcoming opponents Nottingham Forest are the only team to beat Arsenal in this statistic.
Forest have enjoyed an exceptional campaign, and have trailed for just 103 minutes of action, with just two defeats to their name, and Arsenal will be particularly concerned if the visitors manage to take the lead when the two sides meet.
Arsenal in danger if Nottingham Forest score first at Emirates Stadium
Arsenal’s lack of a creative spark has cost them at times this season, and they have failed to respond to adversity well when conceding first.
Arteta’s team have conceded the first goal in four league games this season, but only managed to win one, at home to relegation-threatened Southampton.
| Premier League Games in which Arsenal conceded first | Result |
| Manchester City (Away) | Draw |
| Southampton (Home) | Win |
| Bournemouth (Away) | Loss |
| Newcastle (Away) | Loss |
This record is also concerning when it comes to the Champions League, with Arsenal failing to find an equaliser against Inter Milan after conceding on the stroke of half-time.
If Arsenal find themselves a goal down against Forest, they may be tougher to break down than anyone else in the league right now.
Forest have succeeded when taking the lead and holding onto it, with Newcastle the only side to reverse a deficit to beat them this season.
If Forest do score first, Arsenal will find themselves in a very uncomfortable position, given both their difficulties going forward as well as the resilient strength of their opponents.
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