Trossard starts with Lewis-Skelly as new Eze role chosen - Arsenal line-up vs Nottingham Forest

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Arsenal take on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime. It is Ange Postecoglou's first game in charge of the Gunners' opponents. Mikel Arteta is itching to get back to action following the long wait after the defeat to Liverpool.

This is a big week for the Gunners as they face three European-qualified sides in Forest, Athletic Club and Manchester City. It could prove pivotal in the standings for the two competitions, so Arteta needs to get his selections right to come through all three with nine points.

With that in mind, we put it to our football.london writers to provide their line-ups for the match. Read who they have gone for below:

Tom Canton

This is the part of the season where the schedule begins to ramp up. Arsenal have this early kick-off before a flight to Spain 48 hours later to face Athletic Club in Bilbao.

Therefore, with the depth available to Mikel Arteta, selections need to take on a different vibe, and changes can be made. With that in mind, I have rested a couple of key players, like Riccardo Calafiori and Martin Zubimendi.

Both would start for me in midweek. When you have players who can cover their roles while moving some pieces around, I think the Gunners are more than capable of winning against Forest with these switches. Leandro Trossard starts on the left with Noni Madueke on the right, flanking Viktor Gyokeres.

I would go with a midfield attacking pair of Eberechi Eze and Martin Odegaard with Declan Rice in behind. Having Myles Lewis-Skelly fills the left-back role with a chance, perhaps later for Piero Hincapie to come in.

Canton's Arsenal XI vs Nottingham Forest: Raya; Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel; Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Eze, Odegaard, Madueke, Gyokeres, Trossard.

Kieran Horn

Arsenal will be hoping to kick off this weekend's Premier League action in style after closing out last week's game with somewhat of a whimper.

Had a stunning Dominik Szoboszlai free-kick not flown into the back of David Raya's net, it would have been a great point away to Liverpool, but nonetheless, there are still 35 games to go. The next of those comes against Nottingham Forest back on home soil, with Mikel Arteta facing a number of decisions.

Four of his back five virtually pick themselves for a number of reasons, with David Raya and Gabriel Magalhaes key components. Full-backs Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori keep the returning Ben White and Myles Lewis-Skelly out of the starting XI.

Though William Saliba has returned to training, there is no need to rush him back, as Cristhian Mosquera is more than capable of filling in.

Mikel Merino deserves more starts in midfield, but the incisiveness of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice will suit this game much better with Martin Zubimendi behind the two No.8s.

Injuries mean Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres remain involved from the off, and though there appears to be a dilemma on the left, Eberechi Eze should be handed his first start with the use of Calafiori to bomb on, allowing him to come inside.

Horn’s Arsenal XI vs Nottingham Forest: Raya, Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Madueke, Gyokeres, Eze.

Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023

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