Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Nottingham Forest: Any changes from Community Shield?

A week removed from their Community Shield triumph, Arsenal open up their Premier League account at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. 

Optimism is rife on the red side of north London following last Sunday’s penalty shootout victory over Man City, with many believing that the Gunners can once again push – and potentially usurp – the Cityzens in the title race.

However, selecting a favoured XI hasn’t been straightforward for Mikel Arteta this summer, compared to last year anyway. A busy transfer window has bolstered the club’s depth considerably, with the boss now having myriad quality options at his disposal in multiple positions.

Nevertheless, even in the absence of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, it’s slowly become clear what Arteta’s strongest team might look like.

Predicted Arsenal XI vs Nottingham Forest

Here’s how Arsenal could line up against Forest on Saturday.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Aaron Ramsdale (GK) – David Raya’s impending arrival should only motivate Ramsdale. The Spaniard could be registered in time for Saturday’s game, but Rambo will remain the club’s number one for the time being.

Ben White (RB) – Injuries at left-back mean it’s almost guaranteed that White starts the season at right-back.

William Saliba (CB) – Excellent in the Community Shield, Saliba is a sure bet to make his first Premier League start since March.

Gabriel (CB) – Saliba’s trusted partner will be looking to build off a superb individual 2022/23 campaign. He’ll have to have his wits about him in defensive transition on Saturday.

Jurrien Timber (LB) – With Zinchenko likely to miss out, Timber has to keep his place in the team. The Dutchman was one of the stars of pre-season, and he certainly doesn’t look uncomfortable at left-back.

Midfielders

Thomas Partey (DM) – Supporters must be glad the club opted to retain him. Partey has impressed this summer, and he has to keep his place at the base of midfield.

Declan Rice (CM) – Reports have emerged regarding Rice potentially carrying an injury, but I’m not sure Arteta would risk his record-breaking arrival at the start of his Arsenal career if he wasn’t 100%. The Englishman isn’t yet a Granit Xhaka reincarnate, but he might have to have a big influence further forward against what will likely be a deep Forest block.

Martin Odegaard (CM) – Odegaard so often stars in these sorts of games, and the skipper will be hoping to get his campaign off and running with a productive performance on home soil.

Forwards

Bukayo Saka (RW) – It’s taken Saka a little while to get going in each of the previous two seasons, but this is an excellent opportunity for the winger to ignite his campaign early doors. He’s been in typically imperious form throughout pre-season.

Kai Havertz (ST) – We all thought either Eddie Nketiah or Leandro Trossard would get the nod up top in Jesus’ absence last weekend, but Arteta opted for Havertz. While the German missed a couple of chances, his presence allowed Arsenal to effectively go long and he performed his role to a pretty high standard. He’ll need to be more intricate on Saturday, but crosses could be a distinct source of chance creation with Havertz the primary target.

Leandro Trossard (LW) – Gabriel Martinelli was well off the pace last Sunday, and it’ll be hard to keep Trossard out of Saturday’s team. The Belgian topped the scoring charts in pre-season and he scored the late equaliser to send the Community Shield to penalties. This sort of contest suits him.