3 talking points ahead of Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal

Arsenal face Nottingham Forest away from home on Wednesday night as they look to bounce back from a disappointing defeat.

The Gunners slumped to a 1-0 loss at home to West Ham in their previous outing. Jarrod Bowen put the Hammers ahead minutes before half-time. A second-half red card for Myles Lewis-Skelly sealed a miserable afternoon for the title hopefuls.

With Mikel Arteta's side now 11 points behind league leaders Liverpool, they seriously need to play catch-up if they are to keep any hopes of overtaking them alive.

As Arsenal search for a much-needed win, there are three key talking points ahead of their tricky tie away to Nottingham Forest.

1. Mikel Merino should continue up top

While Mikel Merino did not have a goalscoring impact in the defeat to West Ham, he should continue up top at Forest.

The Spaniard showed what he can offer with two goals in a 2-0 victory at Leicester City and he can continue to have a good attacking contribution for Arsenal. With frequent game time, Merino should gain more confidence and perform better up front.

It is a bit of a case of "who else?" for the Gunners. Raheem Sterling isn't good enough, Leandro Trossard struggled at striker and any youngsters have no real experience. Merino remains the best option to start up top and he should do so against Forest.

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