Soccer Football - Champions League - Semi Final - Second Leg - Paris St Germain v Arsenal - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - May 7, 2025 Arsenal's William Saliba reacts REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
Arsenal host Nottingham Forest this weekend in their return to Premier League action, and Mikel Arteta will be delighted with a triple fitness boost.
The Gunners are determined to mount a serious title challenge against last season’s winners Liverpool, and every point will matter even at this early stage of the campaign.
Arteta’s side suffered their first defeat of the season at Anfield before the international break, but they will be hoping that home advantage at the Emirates tomorrow can get them back on track.
The match marks the early kick-off, with Forest arriving under new management.
Nuno EspÃrito Santo became the first Premier League boss to be sacked this season, making way for former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou.
Arteta has never lost to Postecoglou, winning three and drawing one of their four meetings, which puts Arsenal in a strong position to take all three points against the Tricky Trees.
Adding to the optimism, Arteta has received a significant fitness boost with three players returning from injury.
Both Christian Norgaard and Ben White are back in full training, while William Saliba is also in contention after returning this week, despite initial fears he would be sidelined until October.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Arteta said:
“William trained today so we have a decision to make. Bukayo is out. Still out and he is trying to get back as quick as possible. William trained today and the rest we’re waiting on. Ben is okay.”
Will Saliba start vs Nottingham Forest?
There is no doubt Arteta will want his best centre-back back in action as soon as possible, though he is unlikely to risk him if he isn’t fully fit.
Arsenal face their first Champions League fixture away to Athletic Club on Tuesday and will be keen to start their European campaign with a strong performance.
That leaves Arteta with a dilemma ahead of the Forest clash, as Postecoglou’s side boasts dangerous attacking threats in the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood.
Two defeats in a row would be unacceptable for the Arsenal boss in his pursuit of silverware and building a strong winning culture, and he will not want to travel to Bilbao on the back of consecutive losses.
Saliba’s return to training is a huge boost for the Gunners, but unless Arteta feels compelled to throw him straight into the starting eleven, it isn’t a given that he will feature at all this weekend.
Although a new manager bounce can never be written off, the former Spurs boss inherits a side that has lost their last six outings at the Emirates and have only one win this season so far.
With that being said, with or without Saliba, Arsenal should have enough to chalk up another win in the Premier League.
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