Will the Gunners continue to pull away?
It has been 22 years since Arsenal Football Club last won the Premier League title. The capital club’s desire to win the most coveted trophy is therefore enormous. As things stand, however, the Gunners have the best chance of finally ending their long drought this season.
After 21 matchdays, the Londoners lead the standings with a six-point lead over Manchester City. Coach Mikel Arteta’s team has lost just two PL matches in 2025/26. The basis for my Nottingham vs. Arsenal prediction is therefore the double chance X2, i.e., a bet that Arsenal will not lose at City Ground and will get at least a draw.
Logically, it is also an option to push for an away win before the Nottingham vs. Arsenal match. This is due, on the one hand, to the Gunners’ unbeaten run of ten competitive games (9-1-0) and, on the other hand, to the fact that the East Midlands side’s season cannot even begin to be compared to the 2024/25 campaign, when the Tricky Trees were even flirting with Champions League qualification at times.
The Garibaldi Reds are currently in 17th place, having collected a meager 21 points so far and lost six of ten PL matches at home. Their 21 goals scored are only surpassed by bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton. To make matters worse, coach Sean Dyche’s charges were knocked out of the FA Cup last weekend. Forest lost to second-division Wrexham on penalties. In the Premier League, another defeat looms on Saturday evening. It would be their third consecutive home defeat in the English top flight.
As if the table, overall strength, and form weren’t enough reasons for Nottingham to be offered one-sided odds in favor of the leaders, there is another factor that clearly tips the scales in favor of the Gunners: set pieces! With 14 goals, the Londoners are the benchmark in this category in the Premier League. Forest, meanwhile, have already conceded 13 goals from set pieces.
All in all, there are various betting options for Saturday evening on the island. For example, I find the X2 & Under 1.5 (1st half) interesting, which brings exciting Nottingham vs. Arsenal betting odds of up to 1.70 at Admiralbet. Only 14 of Arsenal’s 40 goals have been scored in the first half.
Nottingham – Arsenal Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
Nottingham Forest has lost eight of its last ten Premier League matches against Arsenal. However, the only two exceptions were home games at City Ground. In May 2023 and February 2025, the Gunners lost to the Tricky Trees. The first leg of the current season, on the other hand, was a clear victory for the Londoners, who won 3-0 at home. Arsenal has kept a clean sheet against the Garibaldi Reds in the league three times in a row.
Nottingham – Arsenal Tip
NFFC coach Sean Dyche has faced Arsenal FC 19 times in his career. His teams have won only two of those 19 encounters. Even more worrying: Dyche has never managed to beat the Gunners twice or more with either of his former clubs.
I expect this bizarre streak to continue and the consistently strong PL leaders to take the next step toward their first championship since 2004. Nevertheless, it cannot be ruled out that the Londoners will struggle in the first 45 minutes against the massed defense of the 17th-placed team and – as so often this season – only take control of the match after the break.
To avoid too much risk, I’m combining the double chance X2 with a maximum of one goal in the first half in my Nottingham vs. Arsenal tip. AdmiralBet offers odds of 1.70, which I’m betting on with six fictitious units. Alternatively, an away win with a maximum of four goals in the game (or a clean sheet) and a potential handicap should also be possible under normal circumstances. The Tricky Trees are currently not in a position to cause Arteta’s team any lasting trouble – at least in my opinion!
