ARSENAL vs NOTTINGHAM FOREST – LIVE!
- Defender Rob Holding is in contention for his first appearance since December
- Ainsley Maitland-Niles is suspended after his sending-off in Sunday’s win over Villa
- Hector Bellerin, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Kieran Tierney could feature
- Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi is also expected to make wholesale changes
Arsenal XI: Martinez, Chambers, Holding, Mustafi, Tierney, Torreira, Willock, Nelson, Ozil, Smith, Rowe, Martinelli
Nottingham Forest XI: Muric, Cash, Figueiredo, Robinson, Chema, Silva, Johnson, Carvalho, Lolley, Adomah
The sides
Arsenal XI: Martinez, Chambers, Holding, Mustafi, Tierney, Torreira, Willock, Nelson, Ozil, Smith, Rowe, Martinelli
Subs: Macey, Bellerin, Bola, Burton, Ceballos, Saka, Balogun
Nottingham Forest XI: Muric, Cash, Figueiredo, Robinson, Chema, Silva, Johnson, Carvalho, Lolley, Adomah
Subs: Smith, Milosevic, Grabban, Ameobi, Sow, Gabriel, Mighten
Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest LIVE: Carabao Cup score, goals and updates (Image: GETTY)
Ray Parlour’s opinion
18:40: I’m always suspicious of Ray Parlour giving an interview without a pint of Cobra in-hand.
He believes the Gunners should set their sights on winning the Carabao Cup this season.
Arsenal have ambitions of finishing in the top four for the first time since 2016 and will be looking to go one step further in the Europa League, having lost to London rivals Chelsea in last year’s final.
But Parlour, who won the competition with Arsenal in 1993, feels that if head coach Unai Emery can find the right balancing act then the two-time winners can lift the trophy once again.
“I think he mixed the team with experience and youngsters,” Parlour said of Arsenal’s run to the quarter-finals in last season’s Carabao Cup – where they were beaten by neighbours Tottenham.
“There is no problem with that, it is good to give the youngsters game time and they have some very good youngsters at Arsenal – Reiss Nelson, (Ainsley) Maitland-Niles, Joe Willock and Emile Smith Rowe. It is great to see players like that come into the team.
“But you can also see how important the competition is to teams like Manchester City and it is another trophy to talk about at the end of the season.
“It is a magnificent achievement to win any competition and for Arsenal and Unai Emery, and the rest of the top six, they should be – and probably will be – taking it seriously.
“There are a lot of games and you get injuries through the season so it is a bit about balancing the squad.”
Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest LIVE: Carabao Cup score, goals and updates (Image: GETTY)
Evening…
18:30: Hello everyone and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Carabao Cup.
Unai Emery’s side welcome Championship Nottingham Forest to the Emirates Stadium this evening and the Spaniard will be hoping to avoid a potential banana skin.
The competition often rates far down the list of priorities for Premier League clubs, especially those who are also part of European tournaments.
But surely top clubs have started to realise what an opportunity for silverware this is.
Anyway, we’ll have the team news and line-ups for you any moment now. Changes aplenty I suspect…
Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest LIVE: Carabao Cup score, goals and updates (Image: GETTY)
When is the Carabao Cup draw?
The draw will be held on Wednesday, September 25 at Stadium MK.
What time is the Carabao Cup draw?
It will be conducted following the conclusion of MK Dons vs Liverpool.
This will be sometime after 9.30pm BST.
When is the Carabao Cup fourth round?
Fourth round fixtures will be played on the week commencing October 28.
Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest LIVE: Carabao Cup score, goals and updates (Image: GETTY)
ARSENAL vs NOTTINGHAM FOREST – TEAM NEWS
Arsenal defender Rob Holding is in contention for his first appearance since December when the Gunners face Nottingham Forest in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old has been missing since suffering a severe knee injury against Manchester United last December but is back in the fold and could start the game.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles is suspended after his sending-off in Sunday’s win over Aston Villa, with head coach Unai Emery likely to rotate his side.
Alexandre Lacazette remains out with an ankle problem but Hector Bellerin (knee), Konstantinos Mavropanos and Kieran Tierney (both groin) could all play some part after returning to training.
Forest boss Sabri Lamouchi is also expected to make wholesale changes for the Reds’ first ever visit to the Emirates Stadium.