Declan Rice is reportedly carrying a knock. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
2. Declan Rice vs Ryan Yates
A likely debut as our left-sided eight means Ryan Yates will be the one tasked with stopping Declan Rice.
It could prove too much for the Forest man as, back in October, he went head-to-head with Rice’s predecessor, Granit Xhaka, and failed miserably to keep him in check, with the Swiss often venturing into the box unopposed to create chances.
Xhaka might have moved on since, but Rice will probably feature in a similar capacity this weekend and has shown in pre-season (especially in the Emirates Cup) that he too can roam forward and combine with the left winger – a move which will create havoc behind enemy lines.
How Yates responds will pique spectator interest because while he was overrun in north London, the 25-year-old shone in the reverse fixture and is well-equipped to nullify the Arsenal threat.
He expertly marshals the engine room and rarely loses out in challenges, ranking in the top 2% of Premier League midfielders for challenges lost per 90 last term (The Athletic), while his ability to drop back into defence will help Forest to repel our prolific attack.
Let’s hope the £105m man comes out on top.
Continued on the next slide…
#NFFC</a> is delighted to announce the signing of <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/10/arsenal-vs-nottingham-forest-3-key-battles/2/"https://twitter.com/USMNT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@USMNT international Matt Turner 🇺🇸</p>
<p>— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/10/arsenal-vs-nottingham-forest-3-key-battles/2/"https://twitter.com/NFFC/status/1689215191073099776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>August 9, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/10/arsenal-vs-nottingham-forest-3-key-battles/2/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<h2><strong>1. Kai Havertz vs Matt Turner</strong></h2>
<p>Who predicted this opening-day matchup?</p>
<p>Although he is reportedly earmarked for a midfield role, Kai Havertz started up top in our Community Shield win and looks set to retain his striking berth on Saturday.</p>
<p>The German international did not score at Wembley and even spurned a few good opportunities to break the deadlock, which raises questions about where his positional future lies.</p>
<p>However, he competed well with a physically imposing backline and showed excellent work rate to track back and stop City progressing through the thirds – contributions that would be similarly useful against Forest counter-attacks.</p>
<p>In his way stands the recently departed Matt Turner, and he will do whatever it takes to cause an early domestic upset. Our former number two is an excellent shot-stopper and, like Stefan Ortega, could frustrate Havertz through his sprawling saves, while their shared tendency to attack crosses will make for a great aerial battle.</p>
<p>May the best debutant win.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/10/arsenal-vs-nottingham-forest-3-key-battles/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #2 key battle </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_135772" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-135772" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/10/arsenal-vs-nottingham-forest-3-key-battles/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1630,w_2560/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1600587889-scaled.jpeg" alt="" width="2560" height="1630" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1600587889-scaled.jpeg 2560w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1600587889-768x489.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1600587889-1536x978.jpeg 1536w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1600587889-2048x1304.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Declan Rice is reportedly carrying a knock. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
<h2><strong>2. Declan Rice vs Ryan Yates</strong></h2>
<p>A likely debut as our left-sided eight means Ryan Yates will be the one tasked with stopping Declan Rice.</p>
<p>It could prove too much for the Forest man as, back in October, he went head-to-head with Rice’s predecessor, Granit Xhaka, and failed miserably to keep him in check, with the Swiss often venturing into the box unopposed to create chances.</p>
<p>Xhaka might have moved on since, but Rice will probably feature in a similar capacity this weekend and has shown in pre-season (especially in the Emirates Cup) that he too can roam forward and combine with the left winger – a move which will create havoc behind enemy lines.</p>
<p>How Yates responds will pique spectator interest because while he was overrun in north London, the 25-year-old shone in the reverse fixture and is well-equipped to nullify the Arsenal threat.</p>
<p>He expertly marshals the engine room and rarely loses out in challenges, ranking in the top 2% of Premier League midfielders for challenges lost per 90 last term (The Athletic), while his ability to drop back into defence will help Forest to repel our prolific attack.</p>
<p>Let’s hope the £105m man comes out on top.</p>
<p>Continued on the next slide…</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/10/arsenal-vs-nottingham-forest-3-key-battles/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #3 key battle </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_135759" class="wp-caption alignnone">
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-135759" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/10/arsenal-vs-nottingham-forest-3-key-battles/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1600894297.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1600894297.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1600894297-768x512.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1600894297-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Bukayo Saka will be looking to get his season off to a productive start. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)</p>
</div>
<h2><strong>3. Bukayo Saka vs Ola Aina</strong></h2>
<p>A Starboy vs Newboy battle is on the cards.</p>
<p>After being rotated frequently in pre-season, Saka should feel refreshed ahead of the new campaign and ready to inflict pain on the visitors’ stubborn low block.</p>
<p>Forest typically adopt a narrow, compact shape out of possession (5-3-2) to force opponents wide and thereby reduce the likelihood of quality chance creation, with their rope-a-dope strategy and pacey forwards also enabling them to take full advantage in transition.</p>
<p>However, Saka can conjure opportunities out of nowhere and has both the physicality and close control to fend off defensive tackles. The Hale End star also benefits from Ben White’s overlapping runs, and the task of curbing their dual influence may overwhelm Ola Aina.</p>
<p>Despite being a right-back by trade, Aina’s two pre-season appearances came on the other side and the departure of Renan Lodi means he may start there again on Saturday.</p>
<p>This prospect will encourage the Arsenal camp because while Aina has the athleticism to trouble Saka, he ranks poorly in the European tackling stakes <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/10/arsenal-vs-nottingham-forest-3-key-battles/2/"https://fbref.com/en/players/246d153b/Ola-Aina">(38th percentile)</a> and offers far more as an offensive option than he does at the back, so might struggle if required to defend for extended periods.</p>
<div class="embed ">
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<p><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" title="“PITA’s Arsenal predictions for the 2023/24 season” — Pain in the Arsenal" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/10/arsenal-vs-nottingham-forest-3-key-battles/2/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/08/09/pitas-arsenal-predictions-2023-24-season/embed/#?secret=Lr0SseryR0#?secret=dU8fW0YnUb" data-secret="dU8fW0YnUb" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p></div>
<p>It could be a long afternoon for the new Forest man.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">
