Arsenal player ratings vs Nottingham Forest as superb Odegaard and Saka give title race hope

Arsenal secured their first Premier League victory in five games with a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners started the game firmly in the ascendency and were unlucky not to be in front when Mikel Merino was adjudged to be marginally offside before Jurrien Timber tapped home.

They did eventually take the lead though as Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard combined superbly on the edge of the box before Saka powered home a superb strike. It could easily have been more before half time as Odegaard, Saka and Leandro Trossard all went close.

After the break they would finally double their lead as half time substitute Thomas Partey curled home from the edge of the box. The Gunners continued to look comfortable from there on out and were able to finish off the game in style as Ethan Nwaneri came off the bench to score his first ever Premier League goal.

Jurrien Timber: Got forward really well down the right hand side particularly in the first half. Looks ready to fill Ben White’s slot in the triangle with Saka and Odegaard. 7.

William Saliba: Some beautiful distribution from the back by the Frenchman. Defended Taiwo Awoniyi really well to keep the Nigerian quiet. 7.

Three talking points ahead of Celta Vigo vs Barcelona | La Liga

It has been a long international break for Barcelona who are finally set to return to action against a complicated opponent at a ruthless venue.

Two weeks after their last outing, the team welcomed Robert Lewandowski from his back injury but still have some key players out of action including young Lamine Yamal, Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres. Barcelona are, thus, far from clear favourites.

While Flick’s men are on top of the league standings, Celta are in 11th place with 17 points after 13 games and have won just five games this term. Notably, however, they are just three points away from a place in the top 6.

Barcelona were very close to completing the perfect window ahead of the international break after having beaten Sevilla, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Espanyol and Crvena Zvezda in five successive games last month.

However, they fell short at the final hurdle as they failed to beat Real Sociedad in the Basque country and thus recorded only their second defeat in La Liga this season.

The repercussions of dropping three points were massive as it helped Real Madrid undo the damage Barcelona inflicted in El Clasico and brought them back to the picture on the standings.

Lamine Yamal travelled with the team to the Basque country two weeks ago but was removed from the squad hours before kickoff after it became apparent that he had discomfort in his ankle.

Municipal de Balaidos is one stadium where Barcelona have struggled in recent years and heading to the Vigo-based venue will thus be an uphill battle for the league leaders.

avi, Olmo start in a 4-2-3-1 – How Barcelona can line up against Celta Vigo

Barcelona will face Celta Vigo tonight in a crucial match, but they will do so without the services of young sensation Lamine Yamal. His absence will undoubtedly impact the starting lineup, and Barcelona will need to adjust their tactics accordingly.

Celta Vigo come into this game full of confidence, having gone unbeaten in their last two outings. The home team has also been strong at their stadium, picking up 13 of their 17 points this season in front of their own supporters.

For Barcelona, the stakes are high. After suffering a disappointing loss to Real Sociedad, they are determined to bounce back and maintain their six-point lead at the top of La Liga.

Despite having the best away record in the league, having earned 18 points from eight games, Barcelona have suffered both of their league defeats on the road.

A poor result against Celta Vigo could shrink their lead over Real Madrid, making this match even more important.

While Barcelona will be missing several key players, including Ansu Fati, Lamine Yamal, and Ferran Torres, the return of experienced figures like Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo to the starting XI should provide a boost.

Arsenal star named ‘most important’ player in the Premier League, as biggest issue in winless run revealed

Martin Keown has explained why he believes an Arsenal attacker is the most important player in the Premier League, while the former defender also offered insight into the club’s struggles in the final third of late.

When pondering on who the Premier League’s most important player is, the likes of Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Cole Palmer, William Saliba or Bukayo Saka might come to mind.

Arsenal have laboured in the absence of their ultra-creative captain, though mercifully for Mikel Arteta, Odegaard returned to the starting eleven last time out against Chelsea. The Gunners still failed to register a victory in that contest, however, extending their streak without a win in the league to four matches.

Odegaard will unquestionably prove crucial in determining whether Arsenal can reel in the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City to end their 20-plus year wait for a Premier League title.

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest score predicted as epic Premier League clash takes place

Arsenal face a tough test in the Premier League when they return from the international break, with the Gunners welcoming Nottingham Forest to the Emirates Stadium later today.

After an impressive start to the season, Arsenal have struggled in the Premier League in recent weeks, with Mikel Arteta’s side failing to win any of their last four Premier League games. A 1-1 draw against Chelsea before the last international break of 2024 meant Arsenal sat fourth in the Premier League table, nine points off the top of the league and three points off 11th.

Next up for the Gunners is a clash against Nottingham Forest, with the Reds the surprise team of the season so far. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are only behind Arsenal on goal difference, while they remain the only side to have beaten Liverpool so far this season. Ben White will be unavailable after undergoing knee surgery, while Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice should both be fit.

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest score predicted

To complete this simulation, we used EA FC 25 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.

We predict that Arsenal could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Partey, Odegaard, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.

Declan Rice replacement vs Nottingham Forest clear as Riccardo Calafiori sends Arsenal message

Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has insisted he is raring to return for the Gunners this afternoon ahead of the visit of Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

Calafiori missed the last three Premier League fixtures before the international break with a knee injury but Mikel Arteta confirmed in his press conference that the Italian would be fit to return today. It would be a timely return for the left-back who has suffered a difficult start to life in North London with a couple of injuries derailing his momentum.

Thankfully, those problems seem to be behind him for now at least with the defender set to start at the Emirates Stadium. Posting to his Instagram story on Friday night, Calafiori shared a picture of himself in training with the caption: “We are so back,” which was soon followed up this morning by a match graphic.

Ahead of kick-off, there is some concern that Declan Rice will not be fit to start against the East Midlands club. The midfielder pulled out of England duty these past couple of weeks and Jorginho’s hint on social media suggests the Italian could be his replacement.

Five players will miss Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest as Mikel Arteta issues major injury update

Mikel Arteta and Nuno Espirito Santo are both expected to miss some big names this weekend. Arsenal will host Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon as both sides look to climb the Premier League table.

The Gunners have pocketed just five points from their last five games in the English top-flight, with their only victory coming against Southampton at the start of last month. They’ve dropped to fourth, falling nine-points behind Liverpool in the title race.

Ben White underwent a minor procedure last week to resolve a joint problem that had been causing him problems.

“Ben is gonna be out for months, unfortunately,” said the Arsenal boss. “It’s been different kinds of struggles. It’s never been the same thing. We had to make a decision. It’s not been improving in the last few weeks unfortunately.

Mikel Arteta will reach a significant milestone as Arsenal manager when his side hosts Nottingham Forest on Saturday

Mikel Arteta will reach a significant milestone in his managerial career on Saturday when Arsenal host Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. The Spaniard will oversee his 250th game as Arsenal boss, cementing his place as the most successful manager in the club’s history at this stage of their tenure.

Since taking charge in December 2019 following Unai Emery’s departure, Arteta has led Arsenal to 146 victories in his first 250 matches in all competitions. This total surpasses legendary managers Arsène Wenger, who recorded 136 wins, and George Graham, who achieved 135 wins in their first 250 games.

Arteta’s win percentage of 58.6% also sets him apart, ranking him ahead of Wenger and Emery among Arsenal managers who have overseen at least 50 games.

During his nearly five-year tenure, Arteta has won the FA Cup and two Community Shields. While his trophy haul may seem modest compared to some of his predecessors, his impact on the team’s performance and consistency is evident.

Barcelona’s fans will love Hansi Flick’s latest update on status of Gavi

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has on Friday provided an update on the wellbeing of midfield starlet Gavi.

And the news will no doubt be met with collective delight on the part of the Barcelona faithful.

This comes amid confirmation that the youngster is now ready to feature from the off in competitive fixtures once more.

Gavi, for his part, is of course fresh off a long-awaited return to the pitch.

After suffering a torn ACL whilst lining out for Spain late last year, the 20-year-old was afforded his first competitive appearance for 11 months late in October.

And, since, his reintroduction to first-team action has been as gradual as possible.

All told, Gavi has been brought on from the bench on six occasions, only one appearance of which lasted for longer than 10 minutes.

Lionel Messi provides his take on Hansi Flick’s Barcelona

Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has on Friday spoken out on the stellar start to the campaign being enjoyed by the current crop of stars.

Barca, of course, are in the midst of nothing short of a brilliant opening to the term.

All told, across 17 fixtures in all competitions to date, the Catalans have racked up wins in all but three, enough to surge clear atop the La Liga standings.

Widespread credit for as much has gone to new head coach Hansi Flick, who in a short space of time has managed to completely revolutionise the club’s way of playing.

And, as alluded to above, one individual who has been left altogether impressed along the way comes in the form of Barcelona icon Lionel Messi.

Speaking during an as-of-yet unreleased interview with 3cat, as cited late this week, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi had the following to say when drawn on Flick’s.