Evening Standard
·23 November 2024
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·23 November 2024
Gunners can ill afford any further slip-ups as they bid to get back into the title race
Simon Collings @sr_collings7 minutes ago
Arsenal return to Premier League action this afternoon following the final international break of 2024 with a potentially tough home clash against Nottingham Forest. There is surely preciously little margin for error left for the Gunners in the title race after a difficult, injury-plagued start to the new season that has seen them win none of their last four top-flight games to fall to fourth and nine points off early leaders Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta’s side are among a gaggle of teams currently sitting on 19 points, with today’s opponents heading into the weekend only one spot behind Arsenal by virtue of a slightly inferior goal difference. It’s been an excellent campaign for Forest so far despite their loss to Newcastle before the break, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side still unbeaten away from home and stunning the likes of Liverpool at Anfield.
Arsenal have the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard fit this afternoon as they name Declan Rice and Kai Havertz on the bench, though Ben White is facing months on the sidelines following knee surgery. The visitors have Chris Wood as a substitute and no Morgan Gibbs-White at all. Follow Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest live below!
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34 seconds ago
Can Gabriel Jesus finally end his long Arsenal goal drought this afternoon?
The Brazilian has yet to score at all this season in the Premier League, with his lone strike in 15 appearances across all competitions so far coming in the Carabao Cup last-16 win over Championship side Preston last month.
Jesus has not netted for the Gunners in the top-flight since all the way back on January 30, when he scored the first goal in a 2-1 win for Arsenal over Forest at the City Ground.
Will Forest prove his good luck charm again?
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
11 minutes ago
Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has addressed Morgan Gibbs-White’s surprise absence from his squad this afternoon.
“He’s not in the right moment,” he said.
“We’ve been taking care of him since the knock in the Chelsea game, he has been trying hard, but he’s not in the position to do it today.”
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19 minutes ago
More pre-match thoughts from the Emirates, where Arsenal simply cannot afford any more slip-ups if they hope to get back into the title race....
26 minutes ago
Some big calls from Arteta with that team, most notably around Kai Havertz.
Be interesting to hear what Arteta has to say for the reasons behind that.
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
36 minutes ago
The headline team news from a Nottingham Forest perspective this afternoon is that Chris Wood - the Premier League’s joint-second top scorer so far this season with eight goals - is only a substitute.
Taiwo Awoniyi leads the attack instead, with Nuno’s only other change coming in midfield where England’s Morgan Gibbs-White is absent completely and replaced by West Ham loanee James Ward-Prowse.
Elliot Anderson misses out with a foot issue, with Harry Toffolo and Eric da Silva Moreira coming onto the bench.
AFP via Getty Images
43 minutes ago
So Bukayo Saka is fit to start for Arsenal this afternoon, but Declan Rice is only a substitute as Jorginho and Mikel Merino come into midfield with Martin Odegaard.
Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard are in from the off after recovering from their respective injuries, though Kai Havertz is on the bench as Gabriel Jesus starts up front instead.
It looks like Jurrien Timber is switching to right-back to cover Ben White’s absence, with Calafiori on the left of defence.
Gabriel Martinelli and Thomas Partey also drop to the bench after five changes in total from Mikel Arteta, who has Raheem Sterling back among the substitutes.
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
53 minutes ago
Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno, Yates, Ward-Prowse, Dominguez, Elanga, Hudson-Odoi, Awoniyi
Subs: Miguel, Morato, Williams, Toffolo, Moreira, Boly, Wood, Silva, Sosa
58 minutes ago
Arsenal XI: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Jorginho, Merino; Saka, Jesus, Trossard
Subs: Neto, Zinchenko, Kiwior, Partey, Rice, Nwaneri, Sterling, Martinelli, Havertz
59 minutes ago
Mikel Arteta admitted that the long-term absence of Ben White posed problems for Arsenal, but he did not want to dwell on the negatives with so many other key players now back fit.
“It is a challenge,” he said. “It was something that we didn't expect at all because, when we talk about consistency and availability in the defensive line, Ben was probably the best with Gabi [Gabriel] and Wilo [William Saliba].
“So we’ll miss him but that’s it. We’re going to have to find alternatives, that's it.
“But there are a lot of positives as well, because Declan is back, Bukayo is back.
“Jurrien is in a good place because he could not play the last game.
“Leo [Trossard] came back in a good place, Riccy’s [Riccardo Calafiori] back after missing five or six weeks. That’s a lot of players and that’s great news.”
AFP via Getty Images
1 hour ago
Yesterday Mikel Arteta brought the news that Arsenal regular Ben White was now looking at “months” on the sidelines after underdoing a knee procedure.
Pushed for the latest on the versatile defender’s recovery, Arteta said: “Ben is going to be out for months.
“It’s been different kind of struggles, it’s never been the same thing, but we had to make a decision in the last few weeks, unfortunately.
“We know that Ben is going to push every boundary but it got to a point where we had to protect the player and we decided to do the surgery.
“He agreed with that, and obviously it will keep him out for a few months.
“We have to see how he reacts post-surgery, I don't expect him to be out for half a season or year but I cannot tell you exactly [how long].”
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
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