The Premier League resumes after the September international break with Arsenal hosting Nottingham Forest at the Emirates in Gameweek 4. Forest arrive under new management after a breakdown in relations between Nuno and the club’s hierarchy that cost the Portuguese his job. Evangelos Marinakis has been linked with Ange Postecoglou since he was ruthlessly sacked by Tottenham Hotspur, and Postecoglou is still chasing his first victory over Mikel Arteta.

Recent form is mixed. Arsenal were narrowly beaten by Liverpool before the break and will be keen to return to winning ways after an earlier run that included a 5–0 win over Leeds and a 3–0 victory over Athletic Club in pre-season. Nottingham Forest’s results since the start of August include a 3–1 win at Brentford and a 0–3 defeat to West Ham. Recent scorelines: Liverpool 1–0 Arsenal (31/08/25); Nottingham Forest 0–3 West Ham (31/08/25); Arsenal 5–0 Leeds (23/08/25); Crystal Palace 1–1 Nottingham Forest (24/08/25); Man Utd 0–1 Arsenal (17/08/25); Nottingham Forest 3–1 Brentford (17/08/25); Arsenal 3–0 Athletic Club (09/08/25); Nottingham Forest 0–0 Al Qadsiah (09/08/25); Arsenal 2–3 Villarreal (06/08/25); Nottingham Forest 0–0 Fiorentina (05/08/25).

Arsenal have seen Christian Nørgaard and Ben White return to training but neither is expected to start. Piero Hincapié, a Deadline Day signing, has been in action and could make his debut off the bench. The Gunners remain without Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, while William Saliba is set to miss the game with an ankle injury. Cristhian Mosquera is expected to fill in alongside Gabriel and there could be a first Arsenal start for Eberechi Eze on the left, with Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyökeres either side.

Forest face their own absences. Right-back Ola Aina will undergo hamstring surgery after his issue on international duty, which opens the door for summer arrival Nicolò Savano to get minutes. Nicolás Dominguez, added to Forest’s Europa League squad by Nuno before his departure, is not expected back until later in the autumn. Oleksandr Zinchenko is ineligible to face his parent club.

Predicted lineups
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice, Ødegaard; Madueke, Gyökeres, Eze.
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1): Sels; Savona, Milenković, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Luiz; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.

Postecoglou has indicated continuity in approach but a pragmatic plan could suit Forest against an Arsenal side desperate to assert themselves at home. Given the transition at Forest, it would not be a surprise if the Gunners claimed the three points with some comfort.

Arsenal received a boost on Friday when manager Mikel Arteta confirmed William Saliba is back in training ahead of the match against Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium. A previous report had suggested the 24-year-old could be sidelined for up to a month, but Arteta moved to clarify the situation after Friday’s session.

“Wilo trained today, so we’ll have a decision to make whether we play him or not, it’s very good news,” Arteta confirmed. The manager also confirmed Piero Hincapié is available after only two days’ work with the squad, giving Arteta additional defensive options as he assesses his starting line-up.

Forest travel to the Emirates with Ange Postecoglou installed as manager following Nuno Espírito Santo’s sudden dismissal. The Australian has signed an 18-month contract at the City Ground. The club will balance that transition with a notable absence of their own. Starting right back Ola Aina is expected to miss up to three months after sustaining a hamstring injury while on international duty.

Arsenal appear to have avoided any fresh issues stemming from the recent two-week break, though they will continue without Bukayo Saka for the immediate future. On his winger, Arteta said: “Let’s see, he’s evolving really well, with very specific work at the moment,” Arteta said of his star winger. “The moment that we increase that load, let’s see how he reacts.”

Additional squad news offered further cautious optimism for Arsenal. Ben White has returned to training, while Kai Havertz is progressing towards a return to action after undergoing knee surgery. With Saliba training and other defensive options available, Arteta faces a selection call that will influence how the home side lines up against a Forest side under new management.

Arsenal right back Ben White has offered a clear assessment of Viktor Gyökeres after the striker’s arrival at the club, praising his training habits and the physical presence he brings to the squad.

Gyökeres earned a prolific reputation during two years at Sporting CP in Lisbon, where a strong goal return prompted Arsenal to pay £55 million ($74.2 million) for the 27-year-old. His early appearances in north London have been mixed; Swedish media accused him of being out of shape after an underwhelming pair of appearances this month. Despite that, Gyökeres has impressed his new teammates in training.

“I can’t say a bad word about him to be honest,” White gushed to Arsenal’s in-house media . “He’s one of the most professional trainers I’ve ever seen, he’s right up there with Martin Ødegaard in that respect. It’s great that we have these players coming in, because all this competition for places makes people lift their standards and it makes everyone better.”

White underlined Gyökeres’s combination of size and movement, and the challenge he represents for defenders.

“He’s a monster!” the Arsenal defender laughed. “He lives for goals. doesn’t he? He’s a constant threat. You really don’t want to get in his way when you are playing against him, because he’ll just move you out of the way anyway!

“He’s such a big presence and I think it will be a massive help that he’s already played in English football. You see a lot of people come to the Premier League and they’ve had no taste of what it’s like and it can be a struggle.

White’s remarks signal that, from the dressing room perspective, Gyökeres’s professionalism and physical profile are positives for Arsenal. The competition for places that followed the transfer is already being framed as a motivator within the squad, with training standards highlighted as a key benefit of the new arrival.