Arsenal Host Nottingham Forest in Premier League Clash at Emirates Stadium

Arsenal welcome Nottingham Forest to the Emirates Stadium for a Premier League Round 4 fixture on September 13, 2025, with kickoff scheduled for 12:30 local time. The Gunners will be looking to bounce back from their recent defeat to Liverpool as they face a Forest side that has made a decent start to the season. This early-season encounter could prove crucial for both teams as they aim to build momentum in what promises to be another competitive Premier League campaign.

Arsenal currently sit third in the Premier League with six points from their opening three matches, having scored six goals while conceding just one. The Gunners trail the early pacesetters by three points and will view this home fixture as an opportunity to keep pace with the leaders. Nottingham Forest occupy tenth position with four points, having netted four goals but conceded five in their three outings. The visitors have shown resilience in the early stages of the season and a positive result at the Emirates would strengthen their mid-table credentials, potentially lifting them into the top half of the table depending on other results.

Arsenal have experienced mixed fortunes in their opening three Premier League fixtures, suffering a narrow 1:0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on August 31, which ended their perfect start to the season. Prior to that setback, the Gunners had been impressive, thrashing Leeds United 5:0 at the Emirates on August 23, with new signing Viktor Gyoekeres netting twice. Their campaign began with a solid 1:0 victory at Manchester United on August 17, demonstrating their defensive solidity. Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, were comprehensively beaten 3:0 by West Ham United in their last outing on August 31. This followed a 1:1 draw with Crystal Palace on August 24 and an encouraging 3:1 home win against Brentford on August 17, where Chris Wood scored twice. Forest also played two pre-season friendlies in early August, drawing 0:0 with both Al Qadasiya and Fiorentina.

Arsenal and Nottingham Forest have faced each other five times in recent Premier League encounters, with the Gunners holding a slight edge with two wins compared to Forest's one victory and two draws. Their most recent meeting ended in a goalless stalemate at the City Ground on February 26, 2025. Arsenal were more dominant in the previous encounter at the Emirates, securing a comfortable 3:0 win on November 23, 2024, with goals from Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey, and Ethan Nwaneri. The January 2024 clash at the City Ground saw Arsenal edge a 2:1 victory despite a late Taiwo Awoniyi goal for Forest, with Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka on target for the visitors. Notably, Forest did claim a significant 1:0 home win in May 2023, with Taiwo Awoniyi scoring the decisive goal that damaged Arsenal's title hopes that season.

Viktor Gyoekeres has made an immediate impact since joining Arsenal, scoring twice in their 5:0 demolition of Leeds United. The Swedish striker has netted two goals in three Premier League appearances, including converting a penalty, and has demonstrated clinical finishing with two goals from just three shots. Despite being kept quiet in the defeat at Liverpool, where he received a yellow card, Gyoekeres has shown he can be the focal point of Arsenal's attack, playing the full 90 minutes in each match and posing a constant threat to opposition defenses. Chris Wood continues to be Nottingham Forest's main goal threat, having already scored twice this season in their 3:1 victory over Brentford. The experienced New Zealand international has been efficient in front of goal, converting two of his seven shots. Wood has historically struggled against Arsenal, failing to score in his last four appearances against the Gunners despite accumulating 175 minutes of playing time across those matches. His physical presence and aerial ability will be crucial if Forest are to cause problems for Arsenal's defense, particularly from set-pieces.