Arsenal Eye Premier League Lead In Forest Showdown

Arsenal head to Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on Saturday, January 17, 2026, with a golden opportunity to stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League table. After a tense stalemate with Liverpool that kept their title rivals Manchester City and Aston Villa within striking distance, the Gunners have rediscovered their rhythm, notching up back-to-back cup wins over Portsmouth and Chelsea. Now, all eyes turn to the East Midlands, where a resurgent Forest side is desperate to steer clear of relegation danger, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for both clubs.

Let’s set the scene: Arsenal, led by Mikel Arteta, have been a tough nut to crack this season. Only two teams have managed to topple them in all competitions, and their last league meeting with Forest ended in a convincing 3-0 victory, featuring a surprise brace from Martín Zubbimendi. But while the north Londoners are eyeing silverware on four fronts, they can’t afford to take their foot off the gas. City and Villa are breathing down their necks, and any slip-up could prove costly in this razor-tight title race.

On the flip side, Nottingham Forest—now under the stewardship of Sean Dyche—are seven points clear of the dreaded drop zone, but their recent form leaves much to be desired. Just one win in their last five league outings—a crucial 2-1 triumph over West Ham United—has given them a bit of breathing room, but Dyche knows his side can’t relax. The Forest faithful will be hoping for a miracle against Arsenal, but as Dyche himself has said, "Recruitment is one of the hardest things in the game, not just here but across the board. It’s very difficult."

The match kicks off at 5:30 p.m. GMT (12:30 p.m. ET) at the City Ground, with Michael Oliver in charge and Darren England overseeing VAR. Recent results paint a clear picture of both teams’ trajectories: Forest battled to a 3-3 draw with Wrexham before losing on penalties in the cup, while Arsenal edged out Chelsea 3-2 in a thrilling Carabao Cup semi-final first leg. Forest’s other recent fixtures include a 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa and a 2-1 loss to Manchester City, underscoring the tough run they’ve endured.

Forest’s squad is stretched thin, especially up front. Chris Wood and John Victor are both sidelined with knee injuries, and Oleksandr Zinchenko is ineligible to face his parent club due to loan restrictions. That leaves much of the attacking burden on Igor Jesus, particularly after Arnaud Kalimuendo’s loan move to Eintracht Frankfurt. Taiwo Awoniyi, once seen as a solution, has fallen out of favour. Dyche has been candid about the club’s urgent need for attacking reinforcements, stating, "Strikers are the hardest thing (to find). Mainly, strikers naturally evolve. Of course you can teach them the basics, but smelling a goal is almost undefinable."

The transfer window has been slow for Forest, but the club is actively pursuing several potential targets. Among those linked are Norwich City’s Josh Sargent, Fenerbahce’s Youssef En-Nesyri, Brighton and Hove Albion’s Evan Ferguson, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jorgen Strand Larsen, and Olympiacos’s Mehdi Taremi. Dyche emphasized the difficulty of getting deals over the line: "There’s no rhyme or reason to values any more, it’s just ‘pay it or don’t pay it’. It’s a whole different market to what it was 10 years ago—you have to use it the best way you can. You can’t always get it right."

Despite the challenges, there’s some good news for Forest. Ryan Yates is back in contention after returning to training, and both Ibrahim Sangaré and Willy Boly are available again following their stints at the Africa Cup of Nations. These returns could provide some much-needed steel and experience as Forest prepare to face one of the league’s most formidable midfields.

As for Arsenal, Arteta has confirmed there are no fresh injury concerns following the midweek win over Chelsea. Piero Hincapié, who suffered a setback in the recent draw with Liverpool, is a possible returnee. However, Max Dowman, Cristhian Mosquera, and Riccardo Calafiori remain sidelined. Arteta hinted at a largely unchanged lineup, though David Raya and Myles Lewis-Skelly could slot in for Kepa Arrizabalaga and Ben White, respectively. The predicted Arsenal XI features a 4-3-3 formation: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyökeres, and Trossard.

Forest are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1: Sels; Aina, Milenković, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Domínguez; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus. It’s a lineup that reflects both necessity and hope, with Dyche relying on collective effort to compensate for the lack of firepower up front. "We have nothing but open communication with the owner, with Edu, with George and myself. That is important, I think," Dyche explained, highlighting the club’s collaborative approach to recruitment and squad management.

Historically, Arsenal have dominated this fixture, winning four of the last five meetings, with Forest failing to notch a single victory in that span. The Gunners’ defense has shown some vulnerability lately, but Forest’s scoring record—averaging just one goal per league match—suggests Arsenal’s backline could be in for a relatively comfortable evening. Still, football is full of surprises, and the City Ground has witnessed its fair share of upsets over the years.

For fans eager to catch the action, the match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 in the UK, NBC and Telemundo Deportes En Vivo in the United States, DAZN Canada and fuboTV Canada in Canada, and FOX Mexico and TNT Sports in Mexico, among other platforms. With both teams having plenty to play for, this clash promises no shortage of drama.

As the transfer window ticks down, the spotlight remains firmly on Forest’s search for a striker. Dyche’s remarks capture the uncertainty and challenge of modern football recruitment: "When you do earmark players, there is no guarantee they are going to be brilliant when you get them in the building. There’s no guarantee it’s going to be smooth sailing all the way through that process, and then you have got to actually get a deal done." The pressure is on the club’s hierarchy to deliver reinforcements before the window slams shut.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are focused on maintaining their momentum and keeping their title rivals at bay. With a deep squad, a clear tactical identity, and confidence riding high after recent cup successes, the Gunners will be favorites heading into the tie. But as Arteta and his players know all too well, every point counts in the race for Premier League glory.

With kickoff fast approaching, anticipation is building on both sides. Will Arsenal assert their dominance and extend their lead, or can Forest pull off an unlikely upset and ease their relegation fears? One thing’s for sure: all eyes will be on the City Ground as these two sides battle for vital points and precious momentum.