Sabasports Match Preview
Premier League: Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal
Kickoff Time: 2026-01-18 01:30 (HKT)
This season, Nottingham Forest has not performed well, with a record of 6 wins, 3 draws, and 12 losses, just 7 points above the relegation zone, putting them under pressure to avoid relegation. They are no longer the “dark horse” that finished seventh in the league last season. In last week’s FA Cup match, Nottingham Forest was eliminated by Championship team Wrexham, and the players are not in their best competitive form. In the last five league matches, Nottingham Forest has only recorded 1 win, and that was against West Ham United, who are in the relegation zone, making their performance unconvincing. In the previous league game, center-back Murillo scored an own goal, damaging his confidence. Statistically, Nottingham Forest’s biggest issue is their lack of balance between offense and defense. After 22 league matches, they have scored only 21 goals, the second fewest in the league, while conceding a high total of 34 goals. With 1.91-meter tall striker Chris Wood injured, the team has lost its height advantage. In recent matches, they have had to rely on 1.79-meter Igor Jesus as the central forward, which has diminished the effectiveness of both wing crosses and set-piece attacks.
Arsenal leads the league table by 6 points and has become a strong contender for the league championship. Although affected by multi-front battles, Arsenal has maintained competitiveness across all fronts through proactive rotation. They have smoothly progressed to the next rounds of both the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League, and they gained an advantage in the first leg of the League Cup semifinals by defeating Chelsea away. Statistically, Arsenal’s biggest advantage lies in their distributed attacking strength and teamwork spirit. So far this season, 13 players have scored in the league, and 11 players have provided assists. Out of 40 league goals, 27 have been assisted by teammates, with both goals and assists ranking second in the league. In the FA Cup match midweek, striker Viktor Gyökeres scored his first goal in open play since last November and provided his first assist since joining Arsenal, significantly boosting his confidence. It is worth mentioning that in their first encounter, Gyökeres also found the net against Nottingham Forest, showing he has insight when playing against them.
After 21 league matches, Arsenal has only been shut out twice by opponents, demonstrating far superior stability and sharpness in attack compared to Nottingham Forest. There is a significant gap in strength between the two teams, and in this matchup, Arsenal is expected to win easily.
Nottingham Forest’s Last 5 Games: DWLLL
26-01-10 Wrexham 3-3 Nottingham Forest (AET 0-0, Penalties 4-3)
26-01-07 West Ham United 1-2 Nottingham Forest
26-01-03 Aston Villa 3-1 Nottingham Forest
25-12-31 Nottingham Forest 0-2 Everton
25-12-27 Nottingham Forest 1-2 Manchester City
Arsenal’s Last 5 Games: WWDWW
26-01-15 Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal
26-01-11 Portsmouth 1-4 Arsenal
26-01-09 Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool
26-01-04 AFC Bournemouth 2-3 Arsenal
25-12-31 Arsenal 4-1 Aston Villa
Head-to-Head Record:
25-09-13 Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
25-02-27 Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal
24-11-23 Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest
24-01-31 Nottingham Forest 1-2 Arsenal
23-08-12 Arsenal 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Prediction: Arsenal to win away