Arsenal v Nottingham Forest: Gunners fancied to grind out win over old foe | OneFootball

English Premier League

Get our top tips for Arsenal v Nottm Forest

The Premier League returns after the first international break with a fascinating twist as former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou returns to north London as the new Forest manager, and Joe Dyer believes the popular Aussie will suffer a similar fate as in previous seasons...

Arsenal v Nottm ForestSaturday, 12:30Live on TNT Sports

Gunners hot favourites to beat former Spurs boss

By a quirk of fate, the footballing gods have made Ange Postecoglou's first match as Nottingham Forest manager at The Emirates. That is home, of course, to his former club's most hated rivals, Arsenal.

Ange replaced another former Spurs boss in Nuno Espirito Santo at Nottingham Forest following the former's extremely harsh sacking on Monday. The Aussie will get no end of stick from the home faithful, but can he conjure up a win to silence 50,000+ screaming Gooners?

The odds suggest not, and quite firmly suggest that, too, with a Forest win a 7/1 shot on the Betfair Sportsbook. The home side are rated just 1/3 to take all three points which would be very welcome following defeat at Liverpool last time out.

Ange can avoid a battering on his north London return

While I wouldn't have been anti a long-shot punt on Forest under Nuno, I am much less inclined to do so under Ange. Despite kicking off his Tottenham tenure with a vibrating 2-2 draw at the Emirates, a game in which Spurs went toe-to-toe with Arsenal, Ange is now on a run of three straight defeats against Mikel Arteta's side.

And having had just days to work with his new team, it's very hard to see Ange delivering an upset win especially against a side as grooved as the Gunners.

While the pressure is on Arteta in his sixth season at the club and without a proper trophy since the 2020 FA Cup (we're not having Community Shields as genuine silverware round these parts, sorry!) there is no sign the players are not still giving everything to the cause. While they didn't carry much attacking threat it took a genuine wonder goal to get them beat at Anfield.

While Ange's reputation at Spurs was built on his ultra-attacking early days, those who watched the final few months of his stay in north London know he can play the gritty, obdurate stuff too.

I expect Forest to take that approach in this game with Ange surely not risking a battering with gung-ho footy at one of the Premier League's toughest away grounds.

Arsenal have significant absentees at both ends of the pitch. In attack they will be without Bukayo Saka while Martin Odegaard is finding his way back to fitness so may not be at their most fluent either. William Saliba is missing at the back.

pair the home win with under 2.5, the double paying at 13/5.

Get Madueke on side in 7/2 Match Ups Multi

Without Saka and with Victor Gyokeres bedding in, the attacking duties may fall largely on Noni Madueke, who has enjoyed a good week with England after a bright showing against Liverpool. The Opta stats show he is a shot monster, averaging 3.4 per game this season.

more shots than Gyokeres, Odegaard and Eze at 7/2.

🔗 Spotify

Recommended bets