Arsenal are back in action on Saturday evening as the Gunners travel to the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest in their final away game of the Premier League season.
On the back of their last result, Mikel Arteta’s side will be playing solely to end their season in good spirits, after almost certainly handing Manchester City the title after losing to Brighton in their previous match.
Roberto De Zerbi’s masterclass at the Emirates ended in a 0-3 win for the visitors, leaving Arsenal deflated as they hoped to take City to the wire for the title.
The north Londoners will have to brush themselves off and focus on Forest, who will be far from easy to beat on their home turf, with safety from relegation not yet confirmed.
Two strong results from Steve Cooper’s side has put them in a good position going into the final two games, with a win against Southampton and 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge last week taking them three points above the bottom three.
Arsenal will have to improve on their performance last weekend, where they allowed the visitors to have 59% of possession and 1.72 expected goals (xG) to their 0.92 xG in an embarrassing display, as per Sofascore.
Besides the season-ending loss, Arteta’s squad suffered a further blow as joint-top goalscorer Gabriel Martinelli was ruled out for their final fixtures after suffering ankle ligament damage in the 20th minute of play.
The Brazilian’s absence this weekend leaves a vacancy on the left-flank, with two names expected to now fight over the starting position.
Should Reiss Nelson start for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest?
Both Leandro Trossard and Reiss Nelson will be in contention to start at the City Ground, however, the 23-year-old could have the edge on the Belgian.
Despite conventionally being a right-winger, the Englishman has a dominant right foot, making him a threat in front of goal on the left-hand side, which could subsequently cause Forest a lot of worry and damage.
The Hale End graduate featured for 30 minutes of Arsenal’s defeat to the Seagulls last Sunday and was a live wire in a tough game, as shown through his numbers – having completed two out three of his dribbles, on top of his one tackle won, via Sofascore.
The 5 foot 9 dynamo has been admirable when called upon for his club this campaign, averaging a 0.56 non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, as per FBref, which highlights his ability to make a difference in the final third.
With contract talks still ongoing, the Englishman could be facing his final two games in an Arsenal shirt, so Arteta should unleash him from he off to mark a statement of respect as well as a chance to showcase his talent in what is now unfortunately a dead-rubber tie for the Gunners.
