More frustration for Forestpublished at 19:00 BST 18 October
19:00 BST 18 October
Gary Rose BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Oliver Glasner delivered memories Crystal Palace fans perhaps never thought they would experience by winning the FA Cup and the Uefa Conference League with the Eagles.
He left and became head coach at Nottingham Forest in the summer, but the City Ground's Glasner era is not quite going to plan in these early stages of the season.
Forest have managed just one win in the Premier League - a 2-1 win at Aston Villa - but their home form will be starting to become a serious concern.
Victory against the defending champions was always going to be a lot to ask, even with Arsenal not at their best, but the failure to get a goal in this game means Forest have not yet scored a goal in four home league games this season.
Their struggle to make opportunities count in the final third is the main issue. They had 14 shots against Arsenal but only two went on target.
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal: How the players ratedpublished at 18:47 BST 18 October
18:47 BST 18 October
Nottingham Forest starting XI:
Matz Sels: The goalkeeper was untroubled with Arsenal struggling to create clear chances until Forest's resistance was broken with 10 minutes left. 6
Murillo: He took a blow to the head in the first half which required treatment and almost grabbed an injury-time leveller following some great skill. 6
Ousmane Diomande: It was only the summer signing's fourth Premier League start but he has settled well and looked to be helping Forest to a positive point. 6
Jair Cunha: Has become a dependable member of Oliver Glasner's side and was unlucky when Madueke's shot clipped him and flew in. 6
Neco Willams: Booked in the first half and was unable to threaten from wing-back while his usual reliable deliveries did not meet his usual standards. 6
Xaver Schlager: The midfielder has slotted in well to the Forest engine room but was unable to influence the game this time. 6
Nicolas Dominguez: Neat and tidy in the middle in his first Premier League appearance of the season but naturally ran out of steam. 6
James McAtee: Without the injured Morgan Gibbs-White the onus fell on him to be a creative force but, while he worked hard, could not find that spark. 6
Daniel Munoz: Tested David Raya in the first half and tried to get forward, especially in the first half, but more will be needed. 6
Dan Ndoye: The forward shot wide early but there was little end product and he was unable to get the better of Riccardo Calafiori. 6
Liam Delap: Enjoyed the physical battle with Arsenal's defence and was a nuisance to Ezri Konsa and Gabriel but did not get close to a goal. 6
Nottingham Forest substitutes:
Ibrahim Sangare (on 74, Dominguez): Stopped at the crucial moment to allow Arsenal to regroup and score. 5
Arnaud Kalimuendo (on 74, Ndoye)
Chris Wood (on, 85, Cunha)
Callum Hudson-Odoi (on 85, McAtee)
Subs not used: John Victor, Yates, Netz, Milenkovic, Aina
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Sutton's predictions: Nottingham Forest v Arsenal published at 11:04 BST 18 October
11:04 BST 18 October
Nottingham Forest held Arsenal 0-0 here last season but I don't think they have got a clean sheet in them this time.
Forest were actually pretty good in their defeat against Crystal Palace, but just didn't take their chances.
I can't see them causing Arsenal too many problems, however. The Gunners had a good win over Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday and this should be just as comfortable for them.
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 13:26 BST 17 October
13:26 BST 17 October
Matt Jones BBC Sport journalist
Arsenal face struggling Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday (16:30 BST) as they seek to continue their fine form after returning from the international break.
The Gunners have not been at their best in their past two fixtures, but they have battled well to earn a 2-1 victory over Leeds United in the Premier League and a 3-0 win against Lille in the Champions League.
Forest have yet to fire under new boss Oliver Glasner. They have suffered two consecutive defeats, with a disappointing 3-1 loss at Crystal Palace following a 1-0 reverse at home to Coventry City.
Glasner and Forest yet to get going
Glasner's style of play has yet to fully click at Forest, although their biggest issue so far this season has been a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal.
Only Tottenham, with a conversion rate of 4.72%, have a worse record in the Premier League. Forest also have the biggest differential between their expected goals (xG) and the number of goals they have scored, with figures of 10.30 and five respectively, leaving them at -5.30.
Glasner's side have also missed the most big chances in the Premier League this season, with 17, while they have hit the woodwork a league-high six times.
The head coach will be frustrated, as his team's poor form continues a trend we saw towards the end of last season, when he was the head coach at Crystal Palace.
Glasner has won just five of his last 29 Premier League games, and his win percentage of 17% is the second-lowest of any manager to have taken charge of 20 or more games, ahead of only Rob Edwards (13%).
Arteta finding an edge off the bench
The squad depth at Mikel Arteta's disposal has been key since the start of last season, with the high-quality options off the bench helping the Gunners get over the line.
Since the start of the previous campaign, Arsenal have recorded 25 goal contributions from substitutes - 13 goals and 12 assists - more than any other club in the top flight.
Two of those goals have come in the past three matches, with Bruno Guimaraes netting long-range strikes to clinch the points for the champions against Sunderland and Leeds.
Arsenal have also had to find different ways to score this season, as their set-piece effectiveness has dwindled compared with last year.
The Gunners are yet to score from a set-piece in the Premier League in 2026-27. It is the first time they have failed to score from one in any of their first six games of a season since 2011-12.
In terms of underlying numbers, their expected goals from set-pieces per 90 have fallen to 0.31 this season, down from 0.56 in the previous campaign. Their expected goals from corners have also declined, from 0.37 to 0.18.
Arsenal are taking more short corners on average, accounting for 18.5% of their corners this term, compared with 13% in the Premier League last season. The Gunners are also yet to take a single outswinging corner in their first six games, although they took just seven in the whole of last season.
Glasner on Gibbs-White fitness, Wood's message to strikers and Arsenalpublished at 15:28 BST 16 October
15:28 BST 16 October
Huzaifah Khan BBC Sport journalist
Media caption,
Nottingham Forest boss Oliver Glasner has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Arsenal at the City Ground (kick-off 16:30 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On team news, Glasner said Nicola Savona and Igor Jesus are out because of injury, but Nikola Milenkovic "could be in the matchday squad".
He also revealed that Morgan Gibbs-White has failed to train with the squad this week after suffering a minor muscle injury against Crystal Palace and is "doubtful" for Sunday's game. He added that the England international will have the chance to train on Saturday and the club will see how he reacts.
On the fact his side missed big chances in the game against Palace and how they can do better against Arsenal, Glasner explained: "No team has seven, eight big chances like we had against Palace [against Arsenal] but it's possible to have two or three. Then, it's up us to be clinical, taking the chances and then you have the chance to win the game."
On his strikers struggling in front of goal, Glasner said: "Today, the main topic was finishing in training. Before the training, I told the players what we're going to do and then I said the one who can explain it best how to deal with this situation is Chris Wood."
He added: "Overall, [he's scored] around 200 goals in English football and he had to deal with these situations." Wood's message was: "Always be confident, never lose trust in yourself, and there's always another one around the corner. Glasner added: "And that's exactly how it is. I could see players start to smile and that's how you best to deal with it."
The Austrian boss was highly complimentary of the Gunners saying: "In every game this season they were outrunning the opposition. It's incredible. The effort and the mindset Mikel [Arteta] has created there is incredible."
He added: "This makes it so tough to play against them and you see it from every single player. They have so many world-class players they can react from the bench."
Image source, Getty Images
