Predicted Arsenal line-up vs Nottingham Forest, Martinelli out

Ed Davison | 20 May 2023 | Arsenal, Arsenal News, Matchdays | No Comments

Arsenal will be aiming to return to winning ways when they face Nottingham Forest on the road this evening.

The north London giants suffered a disappointing 3-0 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend and this has virtually ended their chances of competing for the Premier League title.

Despite this, manager Mikel Arteta will want to end the season on a bright note and will be aiming for another three points when the Gunners take on Forest at City Ground later today.

Ahead of the game, the Gunners boss has confirmed that Gabriel Martinelli (ankle) and Oleksandr Zinchenko (calf) have been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Predicted Line-up:

Aaron Ramsdale had another frustrating game at the Emirates Stadium without a clean sheet. However, away from home, he has been spectacular this season and will be eyeing another shut-out versus Forest.

No changes are expected in the backline. Ben White and Kieran Tierney are set to start in the right and left wing positions respectively. Jakub Kiwior was at fault for the opening goal last weekend but Arteta should back the Pole to partner Gabriel Magalhaes in central defence again.

In midfield, we anticipate Thomas Partey to return alongside Granit Xhaka after starting on the bench for the past few games. Xhaka has been brilliant with 14 goal contributions this season. He could be playing his second-last match for the club with claims that he is off to Bayer Leverkusen.

Further forward, Bukayo Saka should continue in the right wing role. Leandro Trossard had a forgettable outing against his former club and he was at fault for the second goal conceded. The Belgian should still get the nod on the left wing with Martinelli ruled out for the final two matches.

Martin Odegaard is the club’s joint-top scorer in the Premier League alongside Martinelli with 15 goals. The captain will be aiming to add to his tally against Steve Cooper’s side. The Norwegian has been Arsenal’s in-form player recently with five goals from his last six appearances. He is set to start in the number 10 role.

Up front, Gabriel Jesus could get the nod over Eddie Nketiah. The Brazilian has scored five times since his return from a knee injury.