THE Premier League kicks back into gear this weekend following the last international break of 2024.
Amongst Saturday’s fixtures is Arsenal’s home game against high-flying Nottingham Forest.
Mikel Arteta will have been irked by Leandro Trossard sustaining an injury while playing for Belgium while Ben White’s been ruled out for month after a problem sustained in training[/caption]
The sides are level on 19 points apiece with Forest having surpassed all expectations so far.
Arsenal meanwhile can’t afford to drop too many more points if they’re to maintain serious aspirations of mounting a title challenge into the spring.
Here’s everything you need to know about the match-up:
What Irish TV channel is Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest on?
It will be shown live on Premier Sports 1. Kick-off will be at 3 pm on Saturday November 23.
So you’ll only be able to stream via the Premier Sports Player if you have a subscription with the Irish broadcaster.
What are the odds?
Surprisingly, the North Londoners are heavy favourites at 1/3 while the away side all the way out at 8/1.
A draw is priced at 15/4.
It’s worth remembering that Nuno Espírito Santo’s charges handed Arne Slot his first and so far only loss at Anfield earlier this campaign.
Edu sub-plot:
This game comes a matter of weeks after Edu swapped Arsenal for Forest as he’s taken over as Sporting Director for the wider multi-club project helmed by owner Evangelos Marinakis.
It has come at a time when the title-chasing Arsenal are at their most stable, consistent and successful on and off the pitch since the glory days of Edu’s own Invincibles side under Arsene Wenger.
A dream job, some would argue.
In comparison, Forest have been leaving a trail of undesirable box office drama behind them for many years now, from VAR squabbles to cigar-spitting accusations, under their eccentric owner Marinakis who is eyeing world domination via his Manchester City-inspired multi-club model.
So, why would Edu risk tainting an impressive dossier of work at Arsenal for an unspecified triple-your-money role with Grecian grouch Marinakis – a man currently at the centre of a blackmail conspiracy in his home country?
The simple answer is: power. Edu is an ambitious Brazilian who quietly eyed a bigger role at the Emirates, and discretely looked elsewhere when it was clear that was unlikely.
Despite several Brazil stars currently in Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s squad, Edu’s expertise and knowledge of the country and English football was not solely relied upon with Arteta having a large say in all recruitment dealings.
Under Marinakis, however, he is expected to have greater say as a powerful and extremely well-paid executive over the general running of an empire which so far consists of Forest, Olympiacos and Portuguese side Rio Ave.
Marinakis has also eyed up Serie A’s Monza and is reportedly in talks to add Rio de Janieiro-based Vasco da Gama to his growing portfolio.
The latter is believed to have been with Edu in mind – a man who has great connections in Brazil from his time as a director of football at Corinthians and general coordinator of the national team before joining Arsenal in July 2019.
