
Arsenal's recent dip in form has seen them lose top spot and sit five points behind Liverpool at the top of the table. However, a 5-0 thrashing against Crystal Palace has put the Gunners and Mikel Arteta back on track in their search for a first Premier League crown in 20 years.
With Arsenal in need of another three points to keep in touching distance at the top, Tuesday's opponents Nottingham Forest are looking for a victory themselves with the Reds sitting just four points above the drop zone.
Having beaten Manchester United in their last home league game, Nuno Espirito Santo's men will be hoping to spring another suprise against one of the big six. However, beating Arsenal is something the Reds are no strangers to doing.
On the penultimate weekend of the 2022/23 season, Taiwo Awoniyi scored the winning goal as Forest defeated the Gunners, thus ending their title bid and making Manchester City champions for a seventh time. Mikel Arteta's side will be hoping for a much better result at the City Ground this time round.
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Team News
Nottingham Forest
Ahead of the visit of Arsenal, Nuno will yet again be missing Ola Aina, Moussa Niakhate, Cheikhou Kouyate, Ibrahim Sangare, Serge Aurier and Willy Boly, who are all currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations. All six players respective countries have progressed to the knockout stages.
Aina and Nigeria secured their place in the quarter-finals on Saturday so it will be a while until the full-back returns for the Reds. Elsewhere, Senegal and the Ivory Coast face each other in the last-16, meaning at least two players will be on their way back to the East Midlands this week.
Meanwhile, on the injury front, Taiwo Awoniyi, Anthony Elanga and Felipe are all closing in on a return with the trio back in training but forward Divock Origi is still injured. Nuno Tavares will also be unavailable as the defender is ineligible to face his parent club.
Arsenal
A late decision is expected to be made regarding the fitness of Gabriel and Declan Rice after both were substituted in the win over Crystal Palace.
Meanwhile, Tuesday's game comes too soon for midfielder Thomas Partey but the Ghanaian is likely to return for the Liverpool game. However, long-term absentees Fabio Vieira and Jurrien Timber continue to remain sidelined.
With Egypt knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations, Mohamed Elneny is expected to re-join the first team this week whilst Takehiro Tomiyasu is still away at the Asia Cup for his native Japan.
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Likely Line-Ups
Nottingham Forest
Turner; Montiel, Omobamidele, Murillo, Toffolo; Mangala, Danilo; Dominguez, Yates, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Arsenal
Raya; White, Kiwior, Saliba, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli
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Key Players
Nottingham Forest: Chris Wood
Since the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo, New Zealand international Chris Wood has scored six goals in all competitions, including a hat-trick against his old club, Newcastle. Wood has stepped up in Awoniyi's absence and been key to helping Forest try to steer away from the relegation zone.
In the last two meetings against the Gunners, Awoniyi has scored on both occasions but with the Nigerian injured, Wood is the man for Forest to call upon. Can the Kiwi striker find the back of the net against the North Londoners?
Arsenal: Gabriel Martinelli
Winger Gabriel Martinelli has struggled at times for the Gunners this season but a brace off the bench against Crystal Palace could be the stepping stone needed for the Brazilian to regain the form shown in the previous campaign.
The Brazilian's impressive cameo will most likely earn him a start. His blistering pace down the wing is frightening for opposing defenders and with multiple absentees at the back for Forest, Martinelli is sure to be able to do exactly that.
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Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The game is being played at the City Ground which has a capacity of 30,445.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off will be at 19:30 GMT.
How can I watch?
The match will be shown live on TNT Sports 1 and 2 with coverage starting at 19:00 GMT.
Match highlights from the game will be uploaded onto the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel shortly after full-time.

