Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal: Team News, Predicted Lineups & Saka Call

Bukayo Saka set to start as Arsenal chase win at Nottingham Forest

Arsenal visit the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday, October 18 (4.30pm BST). Mikel Arteta's side are expected to recall Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Riccardo Calafiori as they look to keep pressure on Manchester City. Forest remain without a home league goal this season.

Fixture: Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal, Premier League
Kick-off: 4.30pm BST, Sunday, October 18
Venue: The City Ground
Headline team news: Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Riccardo Calafiori all expected to start for Arsenal
Forest concern: Among the division's lowest scorers; no goals in three home league matches
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Arsenal

Injury and availability

Arsenal: Christos Tzolis remains out with a hamstring injury. Piero Hincapie is expected to miss a few weeks with an ankle problem. Martin Zubimendi had a minor issue but should return to the matchday squad. William Saliba is still awaiting his first appearance of the season because of a back injury and is targeting a return after the November international break.

Nottingham Forest: Nikola Milenkovic recovered from a hamstring injury over the international break, then suffered bone bruising in training before the defeat at Crystal Palace. He faces a late fitness test and could replace Ola Aina in the back three if passed fit. Igor Jesus remains unavailable with a calf injury, so Liam Delap is expected to lead the line again. Nicolo Savana is still out after knee surgery earlier this year.

Predicted line-ups

Arsenal (4-3-3)

Likely XI: David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba's replacement, Gabriel Magalhaes, Riccardo Calafiori; Martin Odegaard, Martin Zubimendi, Kai Havertz; Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Eberechi Eze.

Also in contention: Noni Madueke is competing with Eze for the left-sided role. Jurrien Timber, who scored in midweek, could be rested with Ben White coming in at right-back to manage Timber's workload after injury problems.

Nottingham Forest (3-5-2)

Likely XI: Matz Sels; Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, Ola Aina; Neco Williams, Elliot Anderson, Ibrahim Sangare, Morgan Gibbs-White, Oleksandr Zinchenko; Liam Delap, Chris Wood.

Selection note: Milenkovic faces a late test and could replace Aina in the back three.

Arsenal team news points to stronger XI

Arsenal have taken 15 points from 18 in the Premier League and handled Lille 3-0 in midweek. Bukayo Saka came off the bench against Lille, scored, assisted, and reminded everyone how quickly he changes a game. He had been dealing with a minor illness issue, but all signs point to him starting here. That matters, because when Arsenal need incision, he usually provides it.

Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz are also expected to return to the starting side. That gives Arsenal more technical security, more movement between the lines and more of a goal threat. Jurrien Timber scored in midweek, but his workload still needs managing after injury problems, so Ben White could come in at right-back.

Forest injury concerns add to attacking problem

Forest need help at both ends of the pitch. Nikola Milenkovic recovered from a hamstring injury over the international break, then suffered bone bruising in training before the loss at Palace. He faces a late fitness test and could replace Ola Aina in the back three if passed fit.

Igor Jesus remains unavailable with a calf injury, so Liam Delap is expected to lead the line again. Nicolo Savana is still out after knee surgery earlier this year. None of this would be ideal at any point in the season, but it becomes more of a problem against a team that tends to punish structural weakness.

Forest's bigger issue is obvious. They are not scoring. They are among the lowest scorers in the division, they have failed to net in all three home league matches so far, and they have looked blunt rather than unlucky. That distinction matters. If you create enough, variance can turn. If you barely create, you are left hoping for set pieces, mistakes or chaos.

Why Arteta trusts Saka to decide this fixture

Saka's record in this fixture is strong: three goals and two assists in six Premier League appearances against Forest. More important than the numbers is the pattern. He forces defenders backwards, he creates overloads, and he turns sterile possession into something dangerous. Against a side likely to defend deep for long stretches, that is usually decisive.

Arsenal's recent record against Forest is also telling. Forest have suffered successive 3-0 defeats at the Emirates, and while they did manage 0-0 draws in both 2024/25 and 2025/26, they have not scored against Arsenal since Taiwo Awoniyi's late goal in a 2-1 defeat in January 2024. Arsenal have been comfortable limiting Forest's attacking routes, and there is little evidence that Forest have found a new one.

This looks like an Arsenal win, and probably an Arsenal win without concession. Forest have been toothless at home, Arsenal have the superior midfield, the better wide threat and enough depth to alter the game if the first hour gets sticky. Arteta's team have already shown this season that they can win with patience rather than force.

The numbers

Arsenal have taken 15 points from 18 in the Premier League this season.
Arsenal beat Lille 3-0 in midweek.
Forest have lost back-to-back games: 1-0 at home to Coventry City and 3-1 away at Crystal Palace.
Forest have failed to score in all three home league matches this season.
Saka has 3 goals and 2 assists in 6 PL appearances against Forest.
Forest have lost 3-0 in successive visits to the Emirates.
Forest have not scored against Arsenal since January 2024 (Taiwo Awoniyi in a 2-1 defeat).
Only one team has scored in each of Arsenal's four away matches across the Premier League and Champions League this season.

Talking points

Should Arteta risk Saka from the start or keep him as an impact substitute given his recent illness? A home game against blunt opposition looks like the ideal fixture to manage his minutes.
Is Ben White the right call at right-back, or does Jurrien Timber's midweek goal earn him another start despite the workload concerns?
Forest have not scored at home in the league all season. Is that a confidence problem, a structural problem, or a sign of deeper recruitment issues?
Arsenal to win to nil or no in both teams to score — with Forest failing to score in three home games, the clean-sheet angle looks the cleaner bet.

What happens next

Arsenal will assess Saka, Odegaard, Havertz and Calafiori in training before naming their XI. Forest await Milenkovic's late fitness test, with Liam Delap again leading the line. A win keeps Arsenal chasing Manchester City at the top; defeat for Forest deepens the pressure on Oliver Glasner.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bukayo Saka starting for Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest?

Yes — all signs point to Saka starting. He came off the bench against Lille, scored and assisted, and his minor illness issue appears to have cleared.