Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal

The City Ground forms the backdrop for a high-stakes Premier League top-four six-pointer between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal. 

Nottingham Forest’s pursuit of an unlikely top-four finish took a series of blows, with a 4-3 defeat at Newcastle last weekend, condemning them to a third loss in four league matches. As a result, they commence this midweek round only three points inside the top four and six adrift of upcoming rivals Arsenal in second. Arsenal’s visit to the City Ground spells further trouble, considering the Tricky Trees have lost four of the five Premier League H2Hs since earning top-flight promotion in 2022/23, including a 2-1 defeat in this corresponding fixture last term. There’s another omen, considering they’ve emerged victorious from only two of their nine Wednesday-held Premier League games (D1, L6). 

Meanwhile, West Ham’s gusty 1-0 win inflicted possibly irreparable damage on Arsenal’s title hopes, leaving them 11 points below Premier League pacesetters Liverpool. A game in hand may no longer matter after Mikel Arteta’s side relinquished a three-game winning league streak while recording their first scoring blank in Premier League action this calendar year. On the bright side, the Gunners have won four of their last five away league matches (D1), forming part of their impressive eight-game unbeaten top-flight run on the road (W5, D3). Furthermore, the London giants have racked up 12 triumphs across their last 16 Wednesday-held league fixtures (D1, L3).