Three Arsenal stars Mikel Arteta needs more from v Forest, including Bukayo Saka

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Mikel Arteta needs a number of his Arsenal players to improve their form against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday. 

Arsenal will travel to the City Ground this week in desperate need of a win in order to continue their recovery from the abject patch of form they endured over the New Year period. 

After taking on Nottingham Forest, the Gunners will take on current Premier League leaders Liverpool in their subsequent fixture. Mikel Arteta’s men will need to be at their best in that match, and will want to be heading into it with positive momentum behind them.

If Arsenal can take six points from their clashes with Nottingham Forest and Liverpool then they will find themselves thrust right back into the heat of the title race.

In order to pull off both victories, though, Arteta will need all of his players firing on all cylinders. A number of the Gunners’ first team stars have been below par in recent weeks. That needs to change now.

3 Arsenal players who need to up their game against Nottingham Forest

Martin Odegaard

Arsenal club captain Martin Odegaard started the season in spectacular fashion, but then lost form as he struggled with a fitness issue. Arteta alluded to the fact that at one point the Norwegian playmaker was regularly playing through pain. Since getting over that issue, though, the £30 million former Real Madrid man has struggled to produce his finest on a consistent basis. 

Arsenal cannot be at their best if Odegaard is not at his best, as he is so influential as an orchestrator, pulling the strings in the final third.

Bukayo Saka

Bukayo Saka has only scored once in his last seven Premier League outings, and has often found himself to be the subject of additional attention from opposition defenders this season. The Hale End academy graduate has spoken out publicly about the challenge that this has presented.

However, Saka needs to quickly find a way to shine whilst being marked out by opponents as Arsenal’s danger man.

Gabriel Jesus

There has been a lot of talk about Arsenal needing a new striker, mainly due to Gabriel Jesus’ profligacy in front of goal this season. The Brazilian has admitted that goalscoring is not one of the great strengths of his game, but that doesn’t change the fact that a return of just three Premier League goals so far this season is simply not good enough. He is capable of better than that, and Arteta needs him to deliver more.