Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest prediction, odds and preview

At the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, second and bottom meet as Arsenal takes on Nottingham Forest in an effort to avoid going three games without a victory.

On Thursday, the Gunners lost 2-0 to PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League, whereas Steve Cooper’s team defeated Liverpool 1-0 the previous weekend.

Losing their lead in the standings is all the impetus Arsenal needs to regain their early-season form, and returning to familiar surroundings is exactly what the Gunners may need at this time.

Even though the Gunners have a 10-game winning streak at the Emirates in all competitions entering Sunday’s game, including each of their past eight in the Premier League, they haven’t managed to keep a single clean sheet in that span, and Forest have a history of surprising the big dogs.

Nottingham Forest and their newly discovered defensive resilience should fear no team after putting Liverpool to the sword. After all, it hasn’t been since Newcastle United in November 2010 that a freshly promoted club left a Premier League match at the Emirates with all three points to their name.

The staunch Forest defense should present a true test of Arsenal’s attacking prowess, but Cooper’s team has only managed two road victories this season and has failed to score in each of their past four away games before the club makes its first-ever league visit to the Emirates Stadium.

Cooper and company will remember their FA Cup third-round victory over Arsenal from back in January, but the Gunners haven’t won a league game there since the Brian Clough era in 1989. The Gunners would be wise to rediscover their winning formula and put an end to any rumblings of unhappiness.