Arsenal visit Nottingham Forest on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at the City Ground for an 11:30 a.m. ET Premier League fixture broadcast live on Peacock and NBCSN, with Mikel Arteta’s side pursuing momentum amid squad rotation and injuries.
Where to watch Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal live
The Matchday 7 fixture kicks off at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, October 18, 2026, at the City Ground — Nottingham. Viewers in the United States can watch live on Peacock or tune in via television coverage on NBCSN, as detailed in NBC Sports’ Premier League coverage.
The officiating crew for the match has been confirmed by the Premier League for match-day seven in the 2026/27 Premier League campaign. Michael Oliver will take charge as the referee on the field. Assisting him on the sidelines will be Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, while Farai Hallam serves as the fourth official. In the video assistant referee booth, Michael Salisbury has been named as the VAR, backed by Ian Hussin operating as the assistant VAR.
How do Arsenal and Nottingham Forest shape up for Sunday?
The Gunners arrive at the City Ground looking to extend a strong opening run across competitions. Mikel Arteta’s side have won five of their six Premier League games and boast eight victories from nine matches in all competitions this season. Squad depth has proven essential during recent hard-fought home wins against Leeds and Lille.
Following their clash with Nottingham Forest, the visitors face a quick turnaround with a trip to face Bayern Munich next week in the Champions League. Betting market projections list Forest as a home underdog for the first time this season, while analysts point to potential attacking opportunities given Arsenal’s historical road metrics and the visitors managing a demanding schedule across multiple competitions.
In contrast, Nottingham Forest enter the weekend searching for results under new manager Oliver Glasner. Forest suffered a 3-1 defeat at Glasner’s former club Crystal Palace last weekend despite creating numerous scoring opportunities. Dan Ndoye opened the scoring for Forest in the third minute at Selhurst Park before Crystal Palace responded with three unanswered goals.
What is the latest team news and injury update?
Arsenal face mounting fitness concerns despite Arteta rotating his squad.
For the hosts, Liam Delap spearheads the attack, though Forest require greater clinical finishing to match their chance creation. Glasner must contend with significant defensive absentees, as Nikola Milenkovic, Igor Jesus, and Nicolo Savona are all ruled out through injury.
Why is referee Michael Oliver under scrutiny for this match?
The Premier League has assigned Michael Oliver to referee the fixture, marking his first involvement in an Arsenal match this season after he missed last weekend’s schedule.
Forest supporters may hold mixed memories of Oliver’s officiating. Oliver was on VAR for Forest’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool in September and failed to intervene as referee Sam Barrott awarded Forest a penalty after Alisson challenged Neco Williams. The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents panel later determined that Barrott’s decision was incorrect and Oliver had made an error by not recommending an on-field review.