Who thinks that the Arsenal hoodoo will continue because we do, do you?
Arsenal come to the City Ground with a bad luck hoodoo hanging over them like a weekend in Belfast with Marcus Rashford. For The Gunners, the City Ground hangover lingers longer than a Jack Grealish headache in Ibiza.
Forest are unpredictable at the moment and the side is somewhat diminished but does this mean that Forest have less chance of winning the game?
My first game watching Forest against Arsenal was in the late summer of 1984, and I can still recall the Trent End concrete mixed with river mist and a chant about an Arsenal striker, Charlie Nicholas, that suggested his hobbies included regular masturbation.
Forest 2 – Arsenal 0
Forest won 2-0 with goals from Peter Davenport and Dutch freekick legend Johnny Metgod. At that age, just two years after Forest secured a second European Cup, I expected nothing but a Forest victory at every game. I never remembered going to watch Forest as a boy and anticipating a potential defeat against any team, let alone worrying about losing to mediocre sides like Bristol City, Luton, Bournemouth or Arsenal. Liverpool and the South American teams were my only concern as a Forest supporter but when defeat did come around it was crushing.
A Trent End ticket went up to £2.00 in 1985 and I remember seeing Forest draw against Oxford United in December, and it was sickening. I felt like I’d had a weekend of being driven around by Jimmy Saville’s chauffeur.
The year of the Anderlecht referee bribe, I remember saying to a friend in 1984 that I was concerned that Forest might only win one major trophy that year – imagine being concerned about that now!!!
Arsenal are the 2nd best team in the league
Not only do we have to be worried about PSR, FFP, VAR, injuries, Burnley and Luton Town, we have to be concerned that Arsenal are a very good team these days with an excellent manager and a tremendous record of scoring from set-pieces. Statistically, Arsenal are the second-best team in the league right now.
40 years is a long time in football and a lot has changed since 1984 but I still anticipate a good show from Forest and the likelihood that the Arsenal hoodoo might cast a shadow over their performance and lend us at least a point.
Arsenal are in great form and, despite the optimism of the hoodoo, it’s not going to be easy. Forest have weaknesses that Arsenal could certainly exploit, especially with set-pieces and ghostly apparitions in goal.
Not the points deduction thing again!
We think this game has got a draw written all over it and I’d take that now, to be honest. I think we could beat Bournemouth away and maintain the 2 points a game ratio that is desperately needed from now until the end of the season, because, let’s face it, a points deduction seems inevitable.
It’s interesting to look back over my years as a Forest fan and observe the changes within all four tiers of the Football League. Forest have been down to the third tier since 1984 whilst Arsenal have remained a top-six side.
Who knows where we will be in the next 40 years? Wrexham might be kings of Europe, other grounds may be louder than the City Ground, Brentford might be able to fill a 20,000-seater stadium, and kids will be mocking the idea of buying a Manchester City shirt. Either way, Forest will still be magic on and off the pitch and the Arsenal hoodoo may still be in the air – COYR!
