Premier League Big Match Focus: How to back a 6/1 bet builder in Arsenal v Nottingham Forest

• Arsenal perfect against promoted sides
• Forest winless away
• Xhaka pushing for record
• Ødegaard to thrive in home win

After drawing a Premier League match for the first time since January, Arsenal will be keen to get back to winning ways as they host Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium.

It is the first league meeting between the two sides since 1999, but they had a very recent clash in last season's FA Cup third round when Forest - at the time in the second tier - pulled off a shock at the City Ground. The Gunners ran out winners the last time the teams faced off in north London, though, with Gabriel Martinelli notching twice in a 5-0 victory.

Forest are coming into the game having made some much-needed defensive improvement, beating Liverpool last time out to move within touching distance of safety.

They're still waiting to record their first away win since earning promotion back to the top flight, though, and will face a challenge against an Arsenal team who have won all seven of their home games in the Premier League and Europa League.

Home sweet home

Despite Arsenal's impressive recent home form, they have struggled for clean sheets at the Emirates Stadium. They have conceded in each of their five home games, but 14 goals scored across those matches have ensured maximum points despite their last home league clean sheet coming against Leicester City in March.

Only two teams have won on their first league trip to the Emirates Stadium, and Steve Cooper's visitors are looking to make it three on Sunday. The previous first-timers were West Ham United in 2007 and Hull City the following year, both by a 1-0 scoreline.

Each of Forest's victories in the Premier League this term have also been 1-0, and that was also the score in their play-off final victory over Huddersfield Town in May. The Wembley triumph was their last win in London, but their last two league games in the capital - at Fulham and Millwall last season - also ended in 1-0 wins.

Breaking the mould

If the visitors are to get anything on Sunday, they'll need to do something most promoted sides struggle to do. While Hull may have been new to the Premier League when a Geovanni goal saw them win at the Emirates Stadium in 2008, Arsenal have a far better record against new boys these days.

Arsenal are unbeaten in 34 home games against newly promoted sides, winning 29. They have also won seven in a row against new arrivals, a run which includes victories away at Bournemouth and at home to Fulham this season, with captain Martin Ødegaard scoring in both games.

The last time Arsenal lost to a promoted team home or away was the opening day of last season at Brentford, when a squad depleted by Covid cases went down to a 2-0 defeat. At home, you have to go all the way back to November 2010, when a goal from Andy Carroll was enough for Newcastle United to leave with all three points.

Sharing it around

Forest's victory over Liverpool came by virtue of a Taiwo Awoniyi goal, and the Nigerian has scored both of his team's winners so far this term. He has yet to score an away league goal, though, and indeed Brennan Johnson is the only member of Cooper's squad to net in their six games away from the City Ground.

Their eight goals have been spread across five players, while Arsenal's 25 have come from nine different sources - some expected and some not.

One man who has found himself back among the goals this term is Granit Xhaka, with the Swiss international needing just one more to reach five in all competitions. It's a figure which would be a new high in Arsenal colours and equal a record set when he played for Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Arsenal v Nottingham Forest prediction

Considering the number of goals in Arsenal's squad, coupled with the paucity of Forest's attacking on the road, it's hard to look past a home win on this occasion.

The Londoners were able to rest first team stars Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka for more than half of the Thursday night defeat in Eindhoven, in a move which manager Mikel Arteta will hope has left them fresher and hungrier for the task ahead.

There have been surprises this season, and few anticipated Forest getting the better of Liverpool last time out. Arsenal ought to have enough here, though, even after their midweek exploits, and they could even end the day with a first home clean sheet of the season.