It’s a game of undefeated statistics when Forest meet Arsenal at the Emirates this Saturday.
Forest remain one of two teams with an impressive away record this season and Arsenal’s undefeated statistics favour their chances at home.
Only Liverpool can match Forest’s away record and, although Arsenal love throwing away the league title when it’s within their grasp, Forest aren’t under as much pressure for this game.
Despite losing 1-3 at home to Newcastle before the international break, Nottingham Forest are level on points with The Gunners and have won three of their last five games, opposed to Arsenal who have only won once.
Can Forest use the undefeated statistics against Arsenal?
When it comes to the odds of both teams maintaining their undefeated statistics for this game, a betting man would probably make Arsenal the hot favourites.
After all, they have a home advantage, an array of talent, and a good manager, and they were tipped by many to win the league before a ball had even been kicked.
Personally, my money would be on Liverpool to win the league. For me, it’s a three-horse race. You’ve got the Manchester City Saudi cartel, Liverpool, and a bunch of players in North London who are plagued by confidence issues and the sub-conscious reminder of their transfer cost.
And when you consider that Manchester City are vulnerable, Forest have already beaten Liverpool, and Arsenal is a team of players who are martyrs to their price tag, the team that Nuno puts out on Saturday should not be afraid to go for it.
When you think about it, Forest have everything. We have special players who can turn a game with a quick passage of play, a solid back-four, pace on the wings, depth in midfield, and a master technician as a manager.
Let’s not forget the recruitment team.
Again, when Murillo is sold for a fat profit, we will once again be tipping our caps to the Forest recruitment team; the team who bought us Callum Hudson-Odoi, Danilo, andMilenković from Fiorentina. We couldn’t have done it without you guys.
And Forest didn’t have to break the bank either to be level on points with Arsenal. Unlike Havertz, our Chelsea reject didn’t cost us £65 million. In fact, Callum Hudson-Odoi cost a tenth of the price of Gabriel Jesus.
Declan Rice cost Arsenal £100 million. He’s got to be one of the most overrated players in the world. I know many will disagree with me for good reason but I just don’t see it. What is he giving Arsenal that is £60 million better than Morgan Gibbs-White?
If my club paid £100 million for a player, I’d expect to see a goal ratio like Batistuta and ball control like Maradona.
When I think of the best England midfield, Rice Pudding isn’t even part of it. I’d prefer to see Eze in the midfield than defensive Rice. And before you say anything about interceptions and defensive statistics, I know Eze isn’t a CDM but at least he knows where the goal is. Seven goals in nearly 50 games is not a return on £100 million for me. It’s not even a goal every five games.
I know he plays a deeper defensive role but for £100 million, I’d expect him to be able to score from the halfway line occasionally.
Undefeated Statistics mean nothing when you’re winning.
Anyway, I’ve probably jinxed the game now. Rice Pudding will score a brace and the Belgian flop, Dross Trossard, will get the other.
I liked Trossard at Brighton. I thought he was good there. I know it’s the ‘Brighton model’ and they had to cash in, but he was never going to live up to expectations at The Arse, where the chequebook is open and the trophy cabinet is empty.
We haven’t got to worry about Forest’s undefeated statistics because Forest don’t need to win the league. If Arsenal flush their title hopes down the toilet this weekend, it will all be about The Arse and how they are going to come back from a humiliating defeat.
If the game goes as most people expect, it still won’t matter because Forest were never expected to win the game in the first place. Anyway, there will always be the return game, later in the season, when the game is likely to be more critical for Arsenal. The added pressure will just add to the City Ground atmosphere.
By then, nobody will be talking about Forest’s position in the league, they will all be focusing on how Arsenal can blow the league title again. Experts will be pontificating about solutions and what Arsenal needs to do to avoid inconsistency and maintain the undefeated statistics that enable the team to be the best in the country.
I distinctly remember the Michael Thomas goal that decided the league title in 1989. It was a warm spring day. I was drinking something from a bottle, and I was watching the game unfold with a friend of mine who is unaccountably a Liverpool fan.
He was so excited. He expected Arsenal to underperform on the day and provide all the other Liverpool fans from Nottingham, who surrounded and outnumbered Forest supporters, with a lasting memory of a tense league title decider.
Of course, it wasn’t to be for the team from Merseyside. That second Arsenal goal came with just 1 minute and 18 seconds left on the clock. The Arsenal fans went crazy, the players were overwhelmed, and history had been made. Arsenal won the league.
For me, it was all quite dull. I’d seen Forest – the team I’d supported as a boy, and not just when they were winning – go to Wembley on several occasions, lift lots of silverware, and become back-to-back European champions. I simply couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. Why should I care?
I thought Arsenal’s 1979 F.A. Cup win was more exciting than the 1989 league championship decider because they came from behind to beat the team I hate most: Manchester United.
Anyway, it’s all in the past now and, at the moment, things are looking good for Forest. We aren’t really under any pressure to win…but Arsenal are.
Tree Seasons’ Prediction.
In this tie of undefeated statistics, I can sense a draw which, despite the solitary point, is highly commendable for Forest and shocking for The Gunners. COYR! Gun them down! We say 1-1.
