Arsenal travel to the City Ground aiming to stay within reach of Premier League leaders Manchester City. However, the Gunners face a difficult challenge, having failed to score in four of their last five visits to Nottingham Forest.

The last two meetings between the sides at the City Ground produced a combined total of 40 shots, yet neither match saw a goal scored.

Glasner has secured just one league win with Forest

Nottingham Forest have also struggled to find the net against their North London opponents, failing to score in each of their last four encounters. Their overall record is similarly disappointing, with just one victory in their previous 11 league meetings against Arsenal, alongside two draws and eight defeats.

Sitting 15th in the table, Forest are in need of a crucial three points. However, Oliver Glasner has managed only one league victory since taking charge of his new team. His recent record in the English top flight is also concerning, with just five wins in his last 29 matches, alongside nine draws and 15 defeats.

Although Oliver Glasner received a warm reception on his return to Selhurst Park last week, Nottingham Forest suffered a 3-1 defeat against Crystal Palace.

The result was particularly frustrating given Forest’s attacking performance. They registered 24 shots and recorded an expected goals (xG) figure of 3.36 but still came away empty-handed. Their eight big chances were the most recorded by a losing team since Blackburn faced Newcastle United in February 2012.

Arsenal’s set-piece threat has diminished

Oliver Glasner will be eager to test himself against Mikel Arteta, especially with Arsenal facing another Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich just a few days later. The demanding schedule could influence Arteta’s team selection for the trip to Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal have built a reputation for their effectiveness from set-pieces, but that strength has been noticeably absent during the 2026/27 campaign. This weakness could provide Glasner with an opportunity to identify and exploit another potential vulnerability in the Gunners’ game.

Arsenal have failed to score from a non-penalty set-piece in their first six league matches of the season. Another game without such a goal would see them match their longest drought, a seven-match run between January and March 2025.

For Nottingham Forest to defy expectations and secure all three points, their forwards will need to be far more clinical in front of goal.

Delap struggles to make an impact

Forest have scored just five goals in six league matches, the joint second-lowest total in the division. Dan Ndoye is the only player in their squad to have found the net more than once.

Liam Delap, Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White have each scored just one goal so far. Delap’s costly miss against Crystal Palace last week was a clear illustration of Forest’s struggles in front of goal this season.

Delap has converted just 7.1% of his 14 shots in the 2026/27 campaign, with only two attempts finding the target. For a player who cost Nottingham Forest a club-record fee of around £50 million, those numbers make for disappointing reading.

Morgan Gibbs-White, meanwhile, can take some encouragement from his creative contributions. He has created 17 chances in the Premier League this season, with only Brighton & Hove Albion’s Pascal Gross recording more, on 18.

Gibbs-White also leads the division in several creative statistics, having produced 15 chances from open play, created seven big chances and registered 1.87 expected assists (xA).

These numbers highlight the contrast between his creativity and the lack of finishing quality among his teammates. Forest’s struggles in front of goal have been a major factor in their disappointing position near the bottom of the Premier League table.

Arsenal have won 14 of their last 17 league matches

If Gibbs-White and his teammates can make a strong start, they could find opportunities to trouble Arsenal. The Gunners have conceded the opening goal in three of their last four league matches, matching the number of times they fell behind across their previous 25 games combined.

However, Forest face a formidable challenge against an Arsenal side that has won 14 of its last 17 Premier League matches, suffering only three defeats during that run.

Nine of Arsenal’s 14 victories during that period have come by a single-goal margin. Over the past two seasons, the Gunners have secured 17 wins by just one goal, more than any other club across Europe’s top five leagues.

Arsenal are not unbeatable, as Brighton demonstrated with a convincing 3-0 victory over them recently. However, such setbacks have become increasingly rare, with the North London side generally proving difficult to overcome.