Arsenal vs Notts Forest preview | Trio to return | Expected line-up’s | Prediction

Arsenal take on Nottingham Forest in the third round of the Carabao Cup at the Emirates Stadium tonight.

The Gunners head into the game off the back of Sunday’s stunning comeback victory over Aston Villa that saw 10-man Arsenal come from behind twice to emerge victorious thanks to a late free-kick from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The win moved Arsenal into the top four of the Premier League and certainly lifted the pressure off Unai Emery but the Spanish boss will be hoping to build some momentum by booking their place in the fourth round of the League Cup.

However, Nottingham Forest arrive at the Emirates sitting sixth in the Championship table following consecutive 1-0 victories over Swansea and Barnsley so they’ll be hoping to pull off a shock in north London this evening.

Team news

Arsenal will continue to be without Alexandre Lacazette as he’s still nursing an ankle injury while Ainsley Maitland-Niles will serve a one-game suspension following his sending off against Villa.

Emery will make wholesale changes from the side that played on Sunday with Rob Holding in-line to make his long-awaited first team comeback after recovering from a serious knee injury.

Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney are also expected to be named in the squad tonight as they continue their comebacks from injury but the duo may be eased into action from the bench.

Youngster Tolaji Bola could make an appearance at left-back while the likes of Mesut Ozil, Shkodran Mustafi, Lucas Torreira, Joe Willock, Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson and Gabriel Martinelli should feature.

As for Forest, they are also expected to freshen things up with boss Sabri Lamouchi making nine changes in the previous round against Derby.

Expected line-ups

Forest XI: Muric, Cash, Worrall, Figueiredo, Robinson, Semedo, Bostock, Johnson, Silva, Ameobi, Adomah

Prediction

Arsenal 2-0 Forest: It will be exciting to see some of the youngsters given a chance to impress this evening and it will be a huge boost if Holding, Bellerin and Tierney all get minutes under their belts. Arsenal have a good record against lower league opposition in the League Cup and I expect them to ease into the fourth round tonight. Both sides will field weakened teams and Arsenal’s reserves should be too powerful for Forest’s second string.