Nottingham Forest v Arsenal: Saka and Rice can help land 7/1 Bet Builder

• Forest still in trouble despite decent start for Nuno

• Gunners showing signs of recapturing best form

• Saka and Rice can form part of 7/18.00 Bet Builder

• Read Betfair's new 90 minute payout offer here

Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Tuesday, 19:30
Live on TNT Sport

Tough run of games ahead for Forest

Despite winning two of their first four Premier League games since appointing Nuno Espirito Santo, Nottingham Forest remain in deep relegation trouble, sitting just four points above Luton in 18th who have a game in hand.

The relegation picture is about as murky as it can get, with Everton currently fourth bottom having received a 10 point deduction, and then being charged again, along with Forest, with breaching Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules.

How all of that is going to pan out is anyone's guess, and for the time being Forest simply have to concentrate fully on matters on the field.

However, picking up points is not going to be easy with six of their next seven league games being against teams in the top half of the table, including five of the top seven.

Forest can take some belief from the fact that they've beaten Aston Villa and Manchester United at the City Ground this season, though those two victories do sandwich four consecutive defeats in front of their own fans.

Gunners looking to put recent wobbles behind them

It's been a strange few months for Arsenal. Since struggling to a 4-3 win at Luton in early December the Gunners have won just two of their last eight games in all competitions.

They've fallen five points behind Liverpool in the Premier League table after enjoying Christmas at the top, and they've also been knocked out of the FA Cup.

Yet despite Arsenal's mixed form I feel that Mikel Arteta's men are performing much better now than they were at the start of the season. They were dominant for long periods against West Ham in the league and Liverpool in the cup, yet somehow lost both games without scoring a single goal.

They do however go into Tuesday night's game against Forest on the back of thrashing Crystal Palace 5-0 last weekend, and I sense that Arsenal are about to hit top gear and seriously challenge for the Premier League title.

Away side can win with room to spare

There is caution to be heeded if you're considering backing Arsenal at short odds - 4/111.36 in the traditional Match Odds market or 3/101.30 in the Match Odds 90 market - in that Nottm Forest have won the last three home games against the Gunners.

Two of those victories for the Tricky Trees came in cup competitions however, and it's Arseanl who have won five of the last six league meetings between the two sides.

I do believe it will be Arteta's men who will come out on top again but I won't be rushing to back them at such short odds.

Forest can be backed at 15/28.50 in the Match Odds market, with the Draw available at 4/15.00, but it's worth pointing out that they have the best part of 10 players missing either through injury or international duty, and if forced to have a bet on the match outcome I'd likely go Arsenal on the -1 handicap at 11/102.11.

Set-pieces can help land 7/1 Bet Builder

There is an Opta stat that caught my eye ahead of this game and it's that Arsenal have scored the most goals in the Premier League this season from set-pieces (13), most goals from corners (10) and most headed goals (10), while Forest have conceded the most from set-pieces (11) and the second most headed goals (9).

I appreciate these stats go hand-in-hand, in that if you score a goal from a corner then it's very likely to be a headed goal, but I have no doubt that Arteta will be aware of these stats and his side will be playing for free-kicks and corners.

And what these stats do lead me to is having a wager on Bukayo Saka - a regular corner and free-kick taker from his side of the pitch - to provide an assist during the game, and Declan Rice to register at least one shot on target.

At 6'1" Rice isn't the tallest player in the Arsenal squad, but he's not the shortest either and he's registered quite a number of shots at goal (on and off target) this term from crosses and set-piece situations.

In fact Rice has managed 28 shots at goal this term including eight on target from 21 games played. That equates to a shot on target every 2.625 games, so to be getting odds of 7/42.75 (equivalent of 2.75) means were getting a tiny bit of value about the 25-year-old registering a shot on target on Tuesday night.

For the record, Saka has registered seven assists this term from his 20 league games played which is an assist every 2.86 games, so odds of 21/10 (equivalent of 3.1) about him registering an assist against Forest are also slightly in our favour.

Combining both player bets in a Bet Builder pay out at almost 7/18.00 and wil be my only bet of the game.

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