Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal preview, team news, h2h, lineups: Aina targets Gunners’ upset

Super Eagles defender Ola Aina and his Nottingham Forest side will be eyeing an upset when they host Arsenal in Premier League Matchweek 7 on Sunday, October 18, at the City Ground. Arsenal arrive second in the table and have lost only once in six league matches, while Forest sit 15th with one win in the same span and a home record that is the more pressing concern.

Arsenal's good form arrives alongside a new contract for Mikel Arteta, signed through June 2030 on October 7, a reward for ending a 22-year wait for the league title last season. Glasner, in his fourth month at Forest after replacing Vitor Pereira in July 2026, is the club's fifth permanent manager in little over a year and is still searching for sustained form.

Match Facts · Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal

Competition: Premier League, Matchweek 7

Date: October 18, 2026

Kickoff: 4:30 PM WAT

Venue: The City Ground, Nottingham

League positions: Nottingham Forest 15th · Arsenal 2nd

Last meeting: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal, January 17, 2026

Nigeria connection: Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest, Super Eagles right-back)

Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal: Form guide

Arsenal have lost only once in their last six league games, a 3-0 defeat at Brighton on September 19, either side of wins over Aston Villa, Chelsea and Sunderland and a 2-1 win at Leeds United on October 10. That run has brought ten goals scored and a goal difference of +5. Forest, by contrast, have won once in the same period, 2-1 at Aston Villa on September 12, and have not scored at all in three of their six league matches this season, a return of just five goals.

Gabriel of Arsenal looks on after Eberechi Eze of Arsenal. Picture credit: ImagoxDavid Klein / Sportimage

Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal: Head-to-head

The Gunners have not lost any of the last five meetings between these sides, winning three and drawing two since January 2024, with the most recent meeting on January 17, 2026 finishing goalless at the City Ground. Arsenal won 3-0 at the Emirates on September 13, 2025, and 3-0 again on November 23, 2024, either side of a 1-2 win at the City Ground on January 30, 2024. The other draw in the sequence came on February 26, 2025, also at the City Ground.

Across all 96 Premier League meetings between the clubs, Arsenal lead with 48 wins to Forest's 26, with 22 draws and a goal tally of 145-102 in Arsenal's favour. The picture is far more even at the City Ground itself, though, where Forest have won 20 of their 48 home meetings with Arsenal, drawn eight and lost 20, compared with just six wins from 28 attempts at the Emirates.

Ola Aina's against Kai Havertz

Ola Aina and Joao Gomes Copyright: ImagoxMIxNewsx

Aina's move from right-back to the heart of a back three puts him up against Kai Havertz, who has two goals in six league appearances this season and tends to drop off the front line to link play rather than stay on the shoulder of the last defender.

Reading those movements is a different test to the recovery runs and one-on-ones Aina is used to defending out wide, where pace covers for a lot of positional uncertainty. Forest's back three of Ousmane Diomande, Murillo and Aina will also have to account for Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard drifting inside from deeper positions, adding to the scale of the adjustment Aina is being asked to make in an unfamiliar role.

Ola Aina and the Super Eagles

Ola Aina of Nigeria Super Eagles. Copyright: ImagoxAMADAxMASARUx

Aina remains one of the Super Eagles' most experienced defenders, with 49 caps since his 2017 debut. He is also a consistent performer, as he always delivers on the pitch. The 30-year-old is a good one-on-one defender, can dribble, and very brilliant with the ball on his feet.

Aina's brilliance was also key to the Tricky Trees' remarkable finish in the league two seasons ago. He had his battle with injuries last year, but he has since retured and is back among one of the best players at the club.

The Verdict

Nottingham Forest 0-2 Arsenal

Aina's switch into an unfamiliar centre-back role is the kind of gamble that can be exploited by a fluid Arsenal attack, and the visitors should have enough control in midfield to make it count. Likely scorers: Saka, Havertz.