%20rotate(-8.06)%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22336.19%20136.81%20330.16%2094.25%20326.06%2071.19%20326.44%2071.13%20335.22%2093.54%20352.29%20134.52%20373.95%20131.46%20362.7%2052.01%20350.02%2053.8%20356.05%2096.36%20360.15%20119.42%20359.77%20119.48%20350.99%2097.08%20333.91%2056.09%20312.25%2059.15%20323.51%20138.6%20336.19%20136.81%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22402.91%2059.3%20412.36%20126.02%20427.17%20123.92%20417.72%2057.21%20431.59%2055.24%20429.79%2042.51%20387.23%2048.53%20389.04%2061.27%20402.91%2059.3%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22463.51%20118.77%20458.69%2084.71%20474.68%2082.44%20479.51%20116.5%20494.36%20114.4%20483.11%2034.95%20468.26%2037.06%20472.96%2070.25%20456.96%2072.52%20452.26%2039.32%20437.4%2041.43%20448.65%20120.88%20463.51%20118.77%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22540.5%20107.87%20538.77%2095.68%20518.91%2098.49%20515.77%2076.29%20535.63%2073.47%20533.93%2061.5%20514.07%2064.32%20511.11%2043.42%20530.98%2040.61%20529.25%2028.42%20494.53%2033.34%20505.78%20112.78%20540.5%20107.87%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22299.03%20155.17%20301.29%20171.58%20542.78%20138.39%20540.5%20121.97%20299.03%20155.17%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal FA Cup preview: How to watch, lineups, Patino, & prediction
Arsenal kick off their FA Cup campaign in 2021/22 with an away trip to the City Ground to take on Championship Nottingham Forest in the third round. Here is the match preview.
A game at last! Due to have taken on Liverpool in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Thursday, an outbreak in Covid cases among Jurgen Klopp’s side prompted the match to be postponed.
It’s unfortunate for Mikel Arteta’s side as would the request have been rejected they would have fancied their chances of a strong first leg showing against a heavily depleted Reds team. However, were the shoe on the other foot, then naturally the calls for postponement would have rung out from north London as well.
The fixture list is now jumbled up, not to the Gunners’ favour.
Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal FA Cup third round preview: Mikel Arteta could hand Charlie Patino first Gunners start against Steve Cooper’s side
Playing Tottenham in a gigantic North London Derby in between their two legs against Liverpool makes for a daunting week of fixtures, therefore the manager may look to rotate heavily for Sunday’s FA Cup tie.
He likely would have done anyway, though. Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been allowed to leave on loan to Roma ahead of the weekend, while Folarin Balogun is also closing in on a temporary move to Middlesbrough for the remainder of the campaign.
With quartet Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny, Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all away on AFCON duty, the numbers were slim as it was.
Granit Xhaka has also not been pictured in training building up to Forest, which strongly hints that everyone’s favourite academy star, Charlie Patino, could be in with a shout of his first senior start in red and white.
How important is the FA Cup this season? Not only is it silverware, it’s a route back into Europe via the Europa League, something Arteta knows well having scooped the trophy in his first season at the helm.
Fans will remember the previous meeting with this opposition, coming four years ago as Arsene Wenger suffered his one and only third round exit as manager in a 4-2 loss away from home. Less of that this time, please.
How to Watch on TV
When Is Kick Off? Sunday 9 January
What Time Is Kick Off? 17:10 (GMT)
Where Is it Played? City Ground
TV Channel/Live Stream? ITV (UK) fuboTV (USA)
Referee? Craig Pawson
Continued on next page…