Arsenal need to avoid defeat later this afternoon when they travel up to Nottingham Forest’s City Ground in order to keep the Premier League title nominally alive. While it remains hugely unlikely the Gunners can overhaul Manchester City from here, defeat on the banks of the River Trent would see their challenge ended in rather meek fashion.
A response to last week’s defeat to Brighton is required, with Mikel Arteta’s having been too immpressive this season to watch it fall away in such a disappointing way. Granit Xhaka gets the nod over Kieran Tierney at left-back for the visitors, while Thomas Partey and Jorginho both start in midfield.
Steve Cooper’s side are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table and have built their survival bid on some impressive home form, with the City Ground has not been a particularly happy hunting ground for Arsenal in recent years. Follow the action LIVE with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog! Simon Collings will be providing expert analysis from the ground!
Live updates
Simon Collings at the City Ground
Interesting watching Arsenal warm up. Looks like Xhaka is left-back.
Also, it seems like it could be 4-2-3-1, with Jorginho and Partey sitting and Odegaard ahead of them as a No10.
Steve Cooper’s pre-match thoughts
“I expect to come up against a team that has quite rightly been at the top of the Premier League for most of the season. We’re coming up against a top, top team.
“If you put all the context to our situation and theirs to one side, we know we have to be at our very best. That’s the bare minimum.”
Forest well-placed to stay up.
Wolves have been pegged back late on against Everton in one of the 3pm kick-offs, with the Toffees equalising in the 99th minute!
As it stands, Steve Cooper’s side sit three points clear of the relegation zone in 16th, with a trip to Crystal Palace to come on the final day of the season.
A point this evening and you’d feel the job is pretty much done.
Arteta reveals 122 text messages
How did Mikel Arteta deal with last week’s heavy defeat to Brighton? Messages of support certainly helped him.
“I healed myself first for 24 hours, which I needed because it was painful,” the Arsenal boss said.
“And then live with the moment, live with the situation and try to change it straightaway, and give them (the players) all the support and help that they need to be better, to learn from it and to face tomorrow a challenge and opportunity again to put something right.
“Sometimes you go in bed and just cover in bed for 12 hours and don’t speak to anybody. Sometimes you need your wife and kids around you, your dog, and your family.
“In the three years I have been at the club, I have never had that many text messages after the game. It was incredible. I think it was 122 messages I had – all talking about what we have done. ‘Don’t lose perspective on what you guys have done’.
“That helps because it comes from friends, a lot of colleagues, coaches as well, a lot of people at the club, and sometimes that helps you as well and sometimes you need that.”
Simon Collings at the City Ground
Xhaka at left-back
No real surprise that Cooper has gone with the same side that earned a point at Stamford Bridge last weekend. Awoniyi once again leading the line, and he’s a man very much in form.
For Arsenal, Xhaka starts at left-back as Tierney drops to the bench, with Partey and Jorginho starting alongside each other in midfield for the first time. Trossard in for the injured Martinelli.
Nottingham Forest team news
Starting XI: Navas, Worrall, Felipe, Niakhate, Aurier, Mangala, Yates, Lodi, Gibbs-White, Danilo, Awoniyi.
Subs: Hennessey, Toffolo, Surridge, Johnson, Kouyate, Freuler, Dennis, Boly, Ayew.
Arsenal team news
Starting XI: Ramsdale, White, Kiwior, Gabriel, Xhaka, Jorginho, Partey, Odegaard, Saka, Jesus, Trossard.
Subs: Tierney, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Holding, Vieira, Turner, Bandeira, Cozier-Duberry, Walters.
Big summer ahead
Mikel Arteta has detailed his plan to take Arsenal to the “next level” in this summer’s transfer window.
The Gunners are preparing a budget of £200million to once again take the Premier League title fight to Manchester City, as well as competing in the Champions League after six years away.
Standard Sport understand Declan Rice is their top target while Brighton’s Moises Caicedo is also of interest, with Granit Xhaka set to depart to clear space for Arteta’s midfield revamp.
Arteta told reporters ahead of facing Nottingham Forest that this coming window will be “crucial” for the club’s ambitions.
“To go to the next level is going to be a crucial summer for us,” he said. “That is for sure. First of all to make sure that we maintain everything that we have at the club right now.
“That we maintain expectations, that we maintain enthusiasm and energy that is around the place and we have a proper preparation to fulfil the objectives and the challenges that we will have next season.”
