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The first Saturday lunchtime kick-off of the Premier League season takes place at the Emirates with last year’s runners-up Arsenal taking on Nottingham Forest. This match kicks off at 12:30pm UK time.
Arsenal
Arsenal came close to securing the title last season, yet the Gunners running out of steam combined with Man City’s unstoppable momentum meant that Mikel Arteta’s side had to settle for second place. Despite the initial disappointment, there appears to be plenty of excitement and optimism heading into this campaign with the North London club having enjoyed another strong transfer window.
Match has ended
Declan Rice was a high-profile arrival from West Ham whereas Jurrien Timber has reportedly settled in nicely. Kai Havertz endured a disappointing spell in West London, however, with better coaching, the German striker could soon become a vitally important cog in the Arsenal machine.
We saw a glimpse of how Arsenal will approach this season in last week’s Community Shield victory over Man City. Leandro Trossard was excellent at Wembley and the former Brighton man could be rewarded with a start on Saturday lunchtime. Gabriel Jesus is the only major absentee for the hosts and will not be risked this weekend.
Arsenal were fairly formidable at home last season, losing just twice. They dropped just two points when hosting bottom-half opposition (3-3 vs Southampton) and put five past Forest when they met here last season.
Nottingham Forest
Despite getting off to a slow start last season, Nottingham Forest easily survived (courtesy of a 1-0 victory vs Arsenal) and have spent the summer preparing for their second season in the top flight. The Tricky Trees made wholesale changes last summer, however, it’s been a far quieter window this time around. Matt Turner arrived from Arsenal this week and the American goalkeeper could be in line to face his former employers on Saturday.
Ola Aina, Chris Wood and Anthony Elanga have also arrived at the City Ground this summer. The latter should give them some pace and power in the final third.
Steve Cooper’s future still remains unclear and although he is held in high regard by the Forest faithful, there are doubts over whether the Welshman will still be in charge by November. The East Midlands club face Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United in their first four matches with Man City and Brentford just around the corner.
Although Forest drew their last two away matches of the season, their away record was extremely poor overall. The visitors lost seven of their last nine and won just once on the road (vs Southampton).
Head to Head
Forest won 1-0 at the City Ground at the back end of last season and that unexpected victory helped them to clinch survival.
Arsenal overpowered the Tricky Trees 5-0 when they met earlier in the campaign. Each of the last two meetings at this venue have ended 5-0 and Forest will be desperately aiming to buck that trend.
BTTS has landed in just one of the last five meetings between these sides.
Key Betting Stats
- Arsenal dropped just four points when hosting sides seventh or below last season
- Arsenal matches contained an average of 3.45 goals per game last season
- Arsenal kept just four clean sheets at home last season (including one vs Forest)
- Forest chalked up an average of just 3.37 corners per game last season. The lowest in the PL.
- The visitors conceded more away goals than any other side (44) in the PL.
- Forest failed to score in 10 of their 19 away games
Match Prediction
Arsenal have made some solid additions over the summer and having picked up their first piece of silverware last weekend, they should be slightly further ahead in their preparations for this upcoming season. Forest have had a mixed pre-season and their away form is hugely concerning.
Winning Combo
Arsenal to Win, Over 3 Goals, Each Team to Receive a Card and Under 6 Nottingham Forest Corners
Odds – 7/5 with Bet365 Bet Builder
Best Bookmaker
We recommend using Bet365 to bet on this weekend’s matches. Their Bet Builder allows you to combine multiple selections into one single bet. You can also take advantage of Bet Boosts each and every day.
