Key events
23 min What have you got, Arsenal? A patient attack that ends in a shot, that’s what – but it’s a tame one from Jesus, straight at Navas.
20 min Odegaard played the ball square and back a bit – straight to Gibbs-White, who knew exactly what he wanted to do. Run with it, then slip Awoniyi away on the right. The pass looked a touch overhit, but Awoniyi is in great form and he made sure it was his boot, not Gabriel’s, that got to the ball. He shovelled it past Ramsdale and the East Midlands erupted.
GOAL! Forest 1-0 Arsenal (Awoniyi 19)
On the counter! From a howler by Odegaard!!
17 min Another corner taken by Saka, who floats it in. A back-header by a Forest defender gives Jesus a half-chance at the far post, but he can’t keep it down.
15 min Arsenal’s first corner of the match is taken by Saka – short to Trossard, who slips as he spins to cross. The Forest fans see the chance to make scornful noises and grasp it with both hands.
14 min Niakhate goes down as Odegaard slips and lands on his foot – not with his studs but with his midriff. Squeaky-tum time.
13 min Saka is on manoeuvres again down the right, but he doesn’t have his mate Ben White there to go past him on the overlap (as he’s playing centre-back). Partey, understandably, is more tentative.
11 min The first sniff of danger in the Forest box. Odegaard wiggles a pass through to Saka, whose shot-or-cross is blocked.
10 min After this bright start by Forest, Arsenal get some possession and knock it around.
7 min Gibbs-White, the man of the first seven minutes, wins a corner, but Forest waste it by not clearing the first defender.
6 min Arsenal gets the ball upfield for the first time and Jesus appeals in vain for a foul. Partey is tucking into midfield from right-back, like Zinchenko in reverse.
4 min Another long throw from Niakhate. It prompts some pinball in the box but then Jorginho gets fouled again. There’s a joke involving The Who in here somewhere.
3 min Forest get the ball into the box, briefly, as Niakhate hurls in a long throw.
2 min Thomas Partey seems to be playing right-back. Funky!
1 min Forest kick off and go long, but then they foul Jorginho.
Both teams are in a huddle. Not content with probably playing left-back, Grant Xhaka seems to Arsenal’s speechmaker.
The City Ground is rocking as the players file out. Forest in their familiar red, Arsenal in black.
“So Kieran Tierney is fit,” says Charles Antaki, “but Xhaka takes his place at left-back – klaxons sounding all over Arsenal fan-world that this must mean he’ll be sold in the summer. Maybe; and it will be a loss. But it won’t be the disaster/outrage/incomprehensible mistake it would’ve felt like back when he was seen as the honest, man-of-the-people worker to add a bit of ballast to the wonky glam stuff of Ozil and Aubameyang upfront. That the fans won’t mind his going quite so much (though he’ll be remembered affectionately) is testament to the kind of things that Zinchenko has brought in; things have changed, and for the better. But anyway: thanks Kieran.”
This match is taking place at the right address. Forest are not relegation fodder on their own turf: in the home league table, they’re a highly respectable 12th, with 27 points from 18 games. And Arsenal have been sensational on the road: in the away table, they’re top, with 39 points from 18. City have 36 from 17, but their remaining awaydays are not easy ones – Brighton and Brentford.
Liverpool have got their draw, so the top-four race is still just about alive. Both Newcastle and Man United need one win from their last two games to be sure of making the Champions League. Correction: one point!
More late drama! Everton snatch a point at Wolves with a toe-poke from Yerry Mina. They inch up to 33 points, one behind Forest, two ahead of Leeds and three up on Leicester. Leeds play tomorrow, Leicester on Monday.
Late drama at Anfield! Liverpool have their equaliser against Villa, and it’s been scored by the man the fans have been serenading all week. So Man United, although they have beaten Bournemouth, are not guaranteed to make the top four. More here from Will Unwin:
The teams
Mikel Arteta takes one look at Morgan Gibbs-White and thinks, “I need two proper holding midfielders.” Thomas Partey lines up alongside Jorginho, and Granit Xhaka moves to left-back.
Forest (possible 4-3-2-1) Navas; Worrall, Felipe, Niakhate, Aurier; Mangala, Yates, Renan Lodi; Gibbs-White, Danilo; Awoniyi.
Subs: Hennessey, Toffolo, Boly, Kouyate, Freuler, Dennis, Johnson, Surridge, Ayew.
Arsenal (probable 4-2-3-1) Ramsdale; White, Kiwior, Gabriel, Xhaka; Jorginho, Partey; Saka, Odegaard, Trossard; Jesus.
Subs: Turner, Tierney, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Holding, Vieira, Bandeira, Cozier-Duberry, Walters.
Referee Anthony Taylor.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to another episode in a never-ending drama. If this was a normal season, there wouldn’t be a single Premier League game today – we’d be waiting for the comedy and chaos of the final afternoon. As it is, here comes yet another chance to bite our nails.
Nottingham Forest don’t have to win, but they would love to because if Everton stay behind at Wolves, three points will be enough to give Forest another season in the Prem. Arsenal need a win to stay in the title race until tomorrow, however faint their chances – and to regain some pride after being battered by Brighton.
Man City fans can afford not to be too bothered, even though they could win the league in the next two hours. Supporters of Everton, Leeds and Leicester will be watching closely, perhaps from behind the sofa. Forest may have the most points of the four clubs scrabbling to avoid the drop, but they also have the worst goal difference. One way or another, everybody’s twitching. Just how it should be.
Kick-off is at 5.30pm BST, and I’ll be back soon with the teams.
