Arsenal face two key challenges ahead of Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest | OneFootball

Arsenal welcome Nottingham Forest to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

The Gunners lost their last league fixture at Liverpool and are three points behind the defending champions.

Forest have endured a mixed start to the season, winning just one of their first three games. Ange Postecoglou has replaced Nuno Espirito Santo as manager.

Arsenal are huge favourites for the clash, but they have two challenges to overcome to return to winning ways.

Postecoglou’s arrival may spark renewed energy at Forest, with players eager to prove themselves to their new manager, a trend widely referred to as the ‘new managerial bounce’.

He has yet to win a game against Arsenal, but drew his first outing against them during his time at Tottenham Hotspur.

Mikel Arteta’s side must begin the game strongly to deny Forest from gaining any rhythm, which could lead to an upset.

The encounter is an early kick-off, which can be a concern as players may not have recovered from the rigours of international commitments.

Arsenal have a strong record after the international break, particularly at home. No side has registered more home wins than Arsenal after internationals since the 2015/2016 season.

They are also yet to lose at home against Forest in the Premier League era and will be confident of extending their unbeaten run ahead of Saturday’s fixture.

Arsenal must secure a victory against Postecoglou’s side to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool, who do not play until Sunday.