Awoniyi eyes more goals as Nott’ Forest host Arsenal

Taiwo Awoniyi (right) celebrates with Nottingham Forest’s teammates after the heroic goal against Liverpool.

Arsenal have been fading for a while but last week’s defeat by Brighton meant their title hopes have gone.

This is one of those games where you might expect the Gunners will really bounce back and show great authority but the longer the season has gone on, the less we have seen them do that.

They have lost control of so many games recently. Earlier in the season, Mikel Arteta’s side dictated the play and played at their own pace, but they seem to have lost the ability to do that.

Because of Nottingham Forest’s position, you know that they are going to really scrap for everything without having to throw caution to the wind because their fate is in their own hands.

At home is where it happens for them and while I don’t think it will be a particularly pretty game, I can see Forest finding a way of picking up another point.

Nottingham Forest’s only victory in 11 Premier League meetings with Arsenal came at the City Ground in December 1996, courtesy of Alf-Inge Haaland’s 89th-minute winner (D3, L7).

However, Forest have won their past two home matches versus the Gunners, both of which came in the FA Cup third round – a 4-2 victory in January 2018 and 1-0 win last year.

Arsenal’s most recent league fixture at the City Ground was in January 1999, when Martin Keown scored the only goal.

Forest have taken seven points from their past four matches, as many as they amassed in their previous 13 top-flight fixtures.

They have scored the opening goal in 12 of their 18 home league games this season.

Steve Cooper’s side have gone 15 consecutive league matches without a clean sheet since beating Leeds 1-0 on 5 February, conceding two or more