Arsenal will kick off the 2023/24 Premier League season with an encounter against Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
The Gunners prevailed 4-1 on penalties against Manchester City in the Community Shield at the Wembley Stadium on Sunday after the game had ended 1-1 in regulation time. Fresh off the win over City in the season’s curtain-raiser, Mikel Arteta will want a strong start from his boys after missing out on the Premier League title last term.
On the other hand, Nottingham Forest beat the relegation odds and achieved a 16th-placed finish upon their return to the top flight last season. Steve Cooper, who masterminded Forest’s survival, will be keen to stun Arsenal in north London and return home with all three points.
On that note, here are the key battles that could define the outcome of the game between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest at the weekend.
#Bukayo Saka vs Ola Aina
Bukayo Saka is arguably Arsenal’s best player, and on his day, he can be absolutely unstoppable. The England international was sensational last season, scoring 14 goals and supplying 11 assists in 38 Premier League games to help Arsenal finish second.
Another strong campaign from Saka is expected, with the youngster one of the cornerstones of the Gunners’ resounding revival over the past couple of years. Starting on the right flank, the 21-year-old will look to cause all kinds of problems for the Forest backline, which is likely to have summer signing Ola Aina start at left wing-back.
Having shown good early promise in a Forest shirt during the pre-season, Aina will be tasked with the responsibility of stopping Saka from entering the box. Considering Saka’s unpredictable nature to go both ways, the Forest defender will have his task cut out at the Emirates Stadium.
A lot will depend on Aina’s performance against Saka on Saturday if Forest are to return home with a positive result.
#Declan Rice vs Morgan Gibbs-White
Declan Rice showed glimpses of what he is capable of against Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium. Even though he played a bit further up the pitch, the England international showed great mobility and power to intercept passes and stop many City attacks in the middle of the park.
On Saturday, Rice will be expected to start in a midfield trio alongside Thomas Partey and Oleksandr Zinchenko. The 24-year-old will look to take charge of the Arsenal engine room and dictate the tempo of play. However, he also could be tasked with keeping a close eye on Morgan Gibbs-White, who is Forest’s creator-in-chief.
Gibbs-White’s style is direct and aggressive, with the player possessing a knack for attacking with both goal threat and creativity chugging along him in his stride. The Englishman will look to get into pockets of spaces and release Brennan Johnson through the middle with his incisive passes and through balls.
Wary of Arsenal’s high defensive line, Gibbs-White will look to find ways to link play with Johnson, get behind them and create chaos. This is something Rice could be tasked to stop as cutting Gibbs-White’s supply line will hugely impact Forest’s attacking play.
#Martin Odegaard vs Ryan Yates
Martin Odegaard has been one of the most influential creative midfielders in the Premier League in the last two seasons, and his movement, vision and incisive passing will undoubtedly be a source of concern for Forest.
Stopping Odegaard will be crucial and there is no one better in this Forest team than Ryan Yates to do that job. A workhorse in the middle of the park, Yates should be raring to showcase his industry and steel to nullify the Arsenal skipper’s influence in the game. It will be interesting to see if the Forest midfielder can produce a strong performance to keep Odegaard quiet on Saturday.
