After a thrilling victory over last season’s treble winners Manchester City in the Community Shield, Arsenal is set to launch their Premier League campaign on a high note. The win, which came on penalties, has ignited fresh hope among fans that their nearly three-decade-long PL title drought might finally be nearing its end.
Coach Mikel Arteta is leaving no stone unturned to celebrate the Invincibles’ 20th anniversary in style. The summer signing of marquee midfielder Declan Rice for £105 million underscores the club’s ambitions. With such a significant investment, the pressure mounts on Arsenal to begin the season well, especially as they kick off at home for the 21st time in 32 seasons. Historically, their record on matchday one at home has been positive (W11, D3, L6), including a memorable 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest in 1998.
The same victory over Forest set them on a downward spiral that led to their relegation from the top-flight, marking a 23-year absence. Steve Cooper, Forest’s manager, has been forward-thinking with his signings, bringing in players with prior PL experience as he plans for the long-term. Forest secured safety only on the penultimate weekend of the last term with a 1-0 victory in their latest head-to-head against Arsenal. They will be eager to break their winless streak at Arsenal that dates back to March 1989 (D4, L8).
Despite a 2-0 loss at Newcastle on the opening day of the previous season, Forest maintains a positive record when starting their PL campaign away from home (W3, L2). This will mark their sixth consecutive start away from home as PL participants, a streak that began in the 1994/95 season, during which they achieved a post-Brian Clough era high of third place.
**Players to Watch:**
– Leandro Trossard’s late equalizer in the Community Shield salvaged Arsenal. He has seen both teams score in each of his last six goalscoring matches in English competitions.
– Anthony Elanga’s three previous PL games that saw him score also witnessed both teams finding the net, although his most recent goal came in February 2022.
**Hot Stat:**
– Arsenal has scored exactly twice in the majority (eight) of their previous matchday one PL home wins.
**Injury Update:**
Several players are set to miss the match due to injuries, including Elneny, Gabriel Jesus, Lokonga, Zinchenko, Hennessey, Richards, Balogun, Jorginho, Nelson, Awoniyi, Felipe, and Niakhate.
**Match Information:**
– **Referee:** Oliver M. (England)
– **Venue:** Emirates Stadium, London
An exciting clash awaits as Arsenal seeks to build on their Community Shield triumph and Nottingham Forest aims to break their long-standing winless streak at the Emirates Stadium. Football fans are in for a thrilling start to the new Premier League season.
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