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Confirmed Arsenal team to face Nottingham Forest – Smith Rowe starts

Arsenal could go second this evening with a win over Nottingham Forest and this is the team that Mikel Arteta has selected to achieve that outcome.

Arsenal is the far superior team and should beat Forest; however, nothing is guaranteed in the Premier League, as recent losses to Fulham and West Ham have shown. Nuno Espírito Santo’s men will not simply roll over and accept defeat; they will be up for this game, especially in front of their own fans.

Forest has been poor at home this season. They did win the last time they played at the City Ground against Manchester United, but before that win, they had lost four in a row.

Arsenal has been inconsistent on the road this campaign, winning five, drawing twice, and losing three times. Therefore, they cannot be complacent this evening.

A loss would be unacceptable for the Gunners, and a draw would not be of much use either. Therefore, only a win will do. Hopefully, that is what happens, and our title challenge is maintained.

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70 Comments

  1. Good to see ESR. Hope he does well to make the the position his. It’s a big chance for ESR to make a statement. And I love the fact the bench is coming back. Before Liverpool game Elneny, Tomiyasu and Pathey would be back.

  4. The outstanding performance from ESR tonight, which I guarantee, is going to show we fans sometimes know a thing or two than the managers.

    Havertz is going to find he has to really work to gain his spot back.

    1. Get real. ESR might have a good game. Hopefully. But Arteta knew what he was doing, as ESR was injured for virtually the last 18 months (with small intervals of non-injury) and only lately became available to start again. Furthermore, while he proved capable of scoring and ball-carrying, which was fine for 2020-2021 Arsenal, he is not press-resistant, and not suited for our high-press high-tempo game. He might be good in certain games – more open games with an opponent that does not press us and gives ESR some space to carry the ball and infiltrate the box. He his probably not the answer to most of our problems.

      1. He is the answer to our Havertz problem! Always has been and always will be for as long as he plays for Arsenal!

        1. OK… He might be good in a game against Forest. I don’t see him making a difference against a top and aggressive team like Liverpool. He is too feeble, and can’t dribble himself out of tight situations to really offer something in top games. He might be better than Havartz for some games, but he is certainly not the solution to our Havartz problem.

          1. Not sure which ESR you’ve been watching, but it certainly wasn’t the ESR who is playing for The Arsenal tonight! Before his major injury he had a stand out season, scoring and creating goals and showing his physical attributes against top teams.

            1. In open games when the opposition did not press us and gave us space. In games when we faced real pressure from the opposition, like against City and Tottenham, he was completely absent. I hope I am wrong and he improved his physicality, and can now press, and be press resistant. I doubt it.

    2. So is it you fans fielding ESR now?
      I guess we’d better leave the manager to do his job. He’s in the best position than anyone else to know the right time to use a player, especially one as physically delicate as ESR.

        1. He got Saliba perfect, literally. In his year on loan when agenda driven drivel was being written about it he had multiple bad games in Ligue 1, had that happened in the prem, he’d would of had to be dropped and he wouldn’t have the rep he now has. Great decision all round.

          1. Sorry pal you missed the bus!

            Because Saliba HIMSELF said he wasn’t happy with the mistreatment and Arteta HIMSELF admitted he made a mistake with Saliba.

            But I will just take your word and your belief on it no problems!

    3. wait wait but i thought arteta hated ESR right? wanted to get rid of him, was always gonna pick his favourites rather than esr. so which is it?

      About knowing more than the manager. Maybe you are special and have access to all facilities and report where it is clearly stated that Esr has been fit for a long time and the best in training but not getting selected.

      Or that after getting a surgery to correct a major issue that has been plaguing him for players, handling him with care and caution was the best way for the long term. Maybe that was the advice of the medical staff.

      1. “Or that after getting a surgery to correct a major issue that has been plaguing him for players, handling him with care and caution was the best way for the long term. Maybe that was the advice of the medical staff.”

        Do you have access to all reports and facilities to back your claim?

        You are telling me after all these years of watching and following football you can’t make your own observations and analysis and wait to be told everything then I have nothing to add.

        Aren’t one of the same people who claimed Saliba (one of the best CBs in the world) was being handled with care because he was suffering psychologically?

        Did you also have access to all reports, facilities, passwords and pass codes back then?

        1. do you have anything to back up your claims that we fans sometimes know a thing or two than the managers. which is a clearly a veiled at saying you know more.

          I don’t that’s why i don’t bother assuming things like you.

          You like the hater you are assume the worse things about arteta as always in both cases. Another clear example why it is useless debating with people like you.

          1. Then don’t debate me?

            “do you have anything to back up your claims that we fans sometimes know a thing or two than the managers. which is a clearly a veiled at saying you know more.”

            Don’t you understand the meaning of a thing or two? Yes I have my eyes and brain to back me up. My brain is healthy and functional so I use it properly to think for myself.

            You accused me of making ESR analysis without knowing inside data and you went on to make ESR anaysis to counter mine without also not having inside data. Don’t you see how idiotic that is?

            Tell me why can you do that and I shouldn’t?

            1. As always you don’t understand or don’t want to.

              “Or that after getting a surgery to correct a major issue that has been plaguing him for players, handling him with care and caution was the best way for the long term. Maybe that was the advice of the medical staff.”

              This wasn’t an analysis i was just showing you how assuming works both way for and against.

  5. Good to see ESR in line up. Hope he does well to make the the position his own. It’s a big chance for ESR to make a statement. And I love the fact the bench is coming back. Before Liverpool game Elneny, Tomiyasu and Pathey would be back. Only a win is good enough Go gunners.

  7. Every one so far is as happy as I am to see Smith Rowe start.
    It’s an important opportunity for him to shine and make picking him an easy choice for Arteta

    1. Yes, and he has to put a good show out there. Kid has talent , the problem has always been injuries and play time. Hope he gets to stay fit

  9. I wish Emile Smith Rowe a successful and injury-free performance tonight, silencing the skeptics and reaffirming the support of ESR fans.

  10. Havertz and Esr have been competing for the same spot but i do think that maybe esr is the key to unlocking more output from havertz. Playing Havertz as a 9 and Esr behind him making those late runs in the box or playing quick 1-2s.

    Havertz causes problem for Cbs when playing upfront as his playstyle is odd dragging defenders out of position and he keeps popping up in dangerous positions(his terrible finishing has made it less obvious). ESR loves to drive forward with the ball and can fully utilise the space created by havertz.

  11. Joy to see ESR. With a run he is a top baller. Let’s hope he can be a winner. What’s happened to Leo Trossard?

    1. How slow does Zincheko want to make the game. Holding far too long, passing sideways and backwards.

      He really needs to improve drastically

  17. All the play but no chance of a goal at all.
    Slow, tedious boring, dominating, but never looking like scoring.
    I can see a 0-0 , UNLESS WE MASSIVELY INCREASE OUR WOEFUL PASSING PACE.

    2. Also need to make the risky passes. Far too often they make the slow sideways and back passes that the opponents are comfortable with.

  18. Total control possession wise without any end product.
    Smith Rowe has been lively on his return
    Nobody has been bad, but nothing to show for dominating Forest

  19. Saka and Martinelli made ineffective. Why. We’ve been found out. They are doubled up on. Hasn’t Arteta realised the obvious. Everything is so rehearsed, no spontaneity. So boring.

    3. And what’s worse is if s player is being doubled up on it means there’s space elsewhere.

      A true tactician would recognise this, MA is not 1

  20. Nottingham Forest just put all their players in their area to block all half-spaces

    Our long crosses could’ve been more effective if we had more tall attackers to receive them, such as Havertz

    Rice delivered an accurate corner kick last match, but he should’ve been assigned in the penalty box to offer more aerial threat. Martinelli or Smith-Rowe could take the corner kicks instead

  26. What has Jesus done to merit starting so many games ? Three goals all season is a pathetic return. Terribly over rated…

  34. As the Gunners have failed to shoot a single shot on goal in the first half of the match. But hopefully they will shoot many shots on goal in the 2nd half to score. And Score many goals to beat Nothingham Forest in the notch. And beat them 0-4 at full-time of the march unfailingly..
    But doesn’t Arsenal still need to sign a top league clinical finish goals scoring new striker on or before Thursday this week?

    1. Had it been either City or Liverpool the commentary would of been about the envitability of the win. Yet here we are almost 2 years deep and we are in the conversation with the two sides that are supposedly the measure success. The managers beyond reproach and the teams run well behind the scenes. Just curious give Uniteds significantly larger spend and wages and Chelseas significantly larger spend why there are those who want to tear us down? Mad.

  37. Happy we’ve won, but a lack of creativity. It’s so obvious that Martinelli and Saka are going to be doubled up on. We have to change the way we play under those circumstances.

  38. To give a new leases of live to their 3 man struggling forwards striking force. And who have largely struggled to scorer goals on number in the Epl this season.
    SHOLD Arteta and Edu consider the option to sign Nottm For’s Taiwo Awoniyi and Luton’s Elijah Adebayo before the winter window closes?

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