Arsenal travel to Nottingham Forest for the third round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday (20 September) as Arsene Wenger looks to win the tournament for the first time during his time at the club. The Gunners are likely to make a host of changes for the fixture, with the first team having played three games in just over a week.

Where to watch

Kick-off is at 7.45pm BST. Radio commentary of the game is available on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Overview

For Nottingham, all eyes will be on Nicklas Bendtner, who has signed for the Championship side this season, having spent a sizeable amount of his career with the Gunners. Forest have met Arsenal twice in the League Cup, with the Gunners coming on top on both occasions, courtesy of two 2-0 wins in 1987 and 1993.

They are faced against enormous odds, having won only once in their last 13 meetings with the Gunners in all competitions. The north London club were also on the winning side on the last three occasions, but Nottingham will be buoyed by Sheffield Wednesday's win last season against the Gunners, as they will look to pull off an upset.

Meanwhile, Wenger is likely to make a number of changes to his team for the game, with David Ospina set to replace Petr Cech for the fixture. The likes of Mathieu Debuchy, Granit Xhaka and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all set to start, with a few fringe guys also set to make the step forward from the reserve team.

Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger will be looking to use his fringe squad against Nottingham Getty Images

The Gunners come into the game on the back of two wins and a draw against Paris Saint-Germain, which should go a long way in boosting their confidence. The north London club face Chelsea next and would be hoping for every player to stay fit before hosting the Blues at the Emirates.

What managers say

Philippe Montanier: "It is important to put energy into the team. After three games in a week, you have to look at the physical condition of the players. That is why we made changes. I am satisfied because we had them on the back foot and we needed that energy. We have a lot of games and we do need to bring players into the side who can add some of that energy. We will see how the players are, because it is a busy run of fixtures, this will be our fourth game in 10 days. We will look at the energy levels of the players to see who can play in what will be a tough game."

Arsene Wenger: "It was a surprise to me that Nicklas signed for Nottingham Forest, but at some stage Nicklas needs to restart his career. You have to adapt and we are in a job when we have to show we are able to put our effort in everywhere and compete. Sometimes when you are a player of his quality, you just need an opportunity. We know his qualities and he is a top quality player, but he needs to play."

Betting odds (betfair)

  • Nottingham Forest Win: 24/5
  • Draw: 16/5
  • Arsenal Win: 8/15

Team news

Nottingham Forest

Possible XI: Stojkovic; Lichaj, Mills, Mancienne, Traore; Grant, Lansbury, Kasami; Dumitru, Vellios, Osborn.

Arsenal

Possible XI: Ospina; Debuchy, Holding, Gabriel, Gibbs; Xhaka, Elneny; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Reine-Adelaide, Willock; Perez.

Arsenal FC