Game Week 4 Predictions: Arsenal to beat Forest at the Emirates

Arsenal host Nottingham Forest as Ange Postecoglou makes his debut. Gunners aim to bounce back after Liverpool loss with Saliba and Eze set to feature

Arsenal's record against Forest in the Premier League is amazing, can the visitors upset the odds on Saturday? (Photo credit: GOAL)

 Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest

Emirates Stadium

12:30pm

Welcome back! That was one hell of a boring international break. Of course, there’s another one next month, but until then, we will enjoy the magic of the Premier League starting from this one at the Emirates.

The Gunners went into the break with a loss at Liverpool. It was a six-pointer that could have gone either way with little margins, and the only thing that could have settled such a game eventually settled it – a blinding free kick from Dominik Szoboszlai.

Nottingham Forest went into the break in turmoil. The long-standing issue between former manager Nuno Espirito Santo and the club chairman Evangelos Marinakis eventually led to the sacking of the former, and the 3-0 loss against West Ham explains why they need a fresh start.

The quest for a fresh start has led them onto the path of the man who typically wins something in his second season; we must ask, however, if this counts as a first season for Ange Postecoglou, who takes on Arsenal as Forest manager for the first time on Saturday.

Arsenal has arguably the strongest squad in the league, with quality depth ensuring fans don’t panic even when the likes of Bukayo Saka and William Saliba go off injured. This is one fixture in which fans expect to start seeing the real effect of Arsenal’s quality.

The task before Postecoglou is quite clear: win a trophy. Marinakis said Steve Cooper got the club into the Premier League but couldn’t push further; Nuno came in and led them to Europe, and now, the club wants to move to the next level, which is to win trophies. The job starts now for Postecoglou.

How will Arsenal line up? Fans expect to see Eberechi Eze in the starting lineup, and he could be lining up on the left of the attack with Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Martin Ødegaard all expected in the midfield, while Viktor Gyokeres is expected to lead the line.

Good news in defence: Arsenal welcomed back Saliba to training, and Piero Hincapie also joined his teammates for the first time since joining on deadline day. Noni Madueke had a stellar break with England, and so did Mikel Merino; the two of them will be pushing to have impacts this weekend.

Forest bought a host of players, including Dan Ndoye, who is expected to start on the right, and Callum Hudson-Odoi on the left. It’s left to be seen if Postecoglou will change his approach, but a high line at the Emirates on Saturday could be suicidal. No Ola Aina, who suffered an injury during the break.

Verdict: Arsenal to win.