Arsenal cannot afford to make any more mistakes. Ninety points behind leaders Liverpool, every stumble will put The Gunners out of the Premier League championship race. Even the risk of them being knocked out of the top 4 is extremely high.
Amid the discussion of weakness in attack, what the "Gunners" do not want is to face one of the best defenses in the tournament Nottingham Forest this weekend.
Coach Nuno Espirito Santo has set up a tight defense, as their number of goals conceded in the Premier League this season is only more than Liverpool. And remember, Nottingham beat Liverpool at Anfield in September when their defence was extremely solid.
In general, Nottingham gave their opponents very little space and time to approach their goal. The expected goals excluding penalties for each shot they face are the lowest in the league.
Of course, considering the above parameters, Arsenal also did very well, ranking only behind Nottingham. Basically, Mikel Arteta's defense is still performing well when looking at the injury situation they have to face.
According to Sky Sports, Arsenal are fourth in the Premier League this season when considering the number of days players have to miss due to injury. As of round 11, Arsenal players have missed a total of 297 days due to injury, only behind Brighton, Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace.
A positive signal for Arsenal at the moment is the return of conductor Martin Odegaard. The Norwegian midfielder played in the draw with Chelsea and did not have to participate in the November international break. Therefore, this player will be in the best physical condition.
In theory, to defeat a tight defense like Nottingham's, Odegaard's creativity will be the key. With the absence of key players in the attack such as Trossard and Saka, Odegaard's role is even more important.
The schedule in the next 10 rounds is considered easy for Arsenal and will be an opportunity for them to accumulate points. They need to focus on the Premier League when passing the Champions League group stage is not too difficult.
The 9-point gap with Liverpool in the Premier League is not small, but it is not necessarily no longer an opportunity for The Gunners to chase.
The match between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest takes place at 22:00 on November 23 (Vietnam time).
