Nottingham Forest-Arsenal is a match valid for the thirty-seventh day of the Premier League and is played Saturday at 6:30pm: TV, predictions.
The final word on Arsenal’s title hopes was written by Roberto De Zerbi with his Brighton side. The heavy home defeat – only the second of the season at Emirates Stadium – suffered against the Seagulls last Sunday (0-3) has the taste of final surrender.
With a four-point lead and a match to make up Manchester City can close the games already in this round. And it can even do so “from the couch” if in the last of Saturday’s Premier League previews the Gunners should get the worst of it at the City Ground with Nottingham Forest. Even a draw, in fact, could enshrine the mathematical victory of the title by Pep Guardiola’s Citizens – clearly ahead in goal difference – who have just detached the pass for the Champions League final. Indeed, City will only need to get the better of a now-goalless Chelsea to celebrate for the third year in a row and retain the crown as champions of England. While Mikel Arteta and his men have only to console themselves with a second-place finish that will allow them to return to the Champions League after several years of absence. The disappointment is stinging, but Arsenal can look at the glass half full despite being on the verge of becoming the team that has stayed at the top for the most days (248) without coming away with the title.
Forest one step away from safety
The Gunners will have to deal, we said, with a team that is not yet safe and that in case of success could celebrate salvation with a day to spare.
Nottingham Forest players
Much will depend on the result of Everton, which has two points less than Forest, and a few hours earlier will be engaged at Wolverhampton’s field. Should the Toffees fail to win or should West Ham stop Leeds tomorrow – third-last to -3 from the Tricky Trees – with the three points Steve Cooper’s men would be certain to keep their category. Nottingham, in short, believes and this is confirmed by the three positive results obtained in the last four days, including the draw (2-2) snatched at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. It was not a foregone conclusion that Forest would be able to avoid defeat in the London away game: away from their home crowd they have been disastrous, earning only seven points in eighteen games. No one away from home has scored so few.
The prediction
Nottingham Forest at home has stopped several big names and could succeed even against a team as resigned as Arsenal. A positive result from Cooper’s men is not utopia in a match in which both should score.
The probable lineups of Nottingham Forest-Arsenal
- NOTTINGHAM FOREST (3-5-2): Navas; Worrall, Niakhaté, Felipe; Aurier, Yates, Danilo, Mangala, Renan Lodi; Gibbs-White, Awoniyi.
- ARSENAL (4-3-3): Ramsdale; White, Kiwior, Gabriel, Tierney; Odegaard, Xhaka, Partey; Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Trossard.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
