Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest - Premier League: Live score, team news and updates as Mikel Arteta BENCHES Declan Rice for visit of Ange Postecoglou's side

Erm... I'm not really sure what's going on here.

These are some interesting mascot costumes, and they are kind of freaking me out a little.

Anyway, the atmosphere is building and it seems like the fans are more keen on these mascots than I am.

Maybe they think they are really having pictures with Viktor Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka.

Does that Arsenal midfield look familiar to you?

I swear I have seen it before somewhere, I really do. Yes, I know Martin Zubimendi is new at Arsenal, but honestly, I swear I have seen this trio play together somewhere.

Ahhhh, I got it.

This is a reunion of the midfield trio at Real Sociedad from the 2019-20 season. I knew I had seen them play together before.

Pretty mental that they are all wearing red now, eh?

Chris is bang on, it really will be a tough start for Ange Postecoglou.

I mean, I think history speaks for itself when it comes to these two teams meeting. It usually only goes one way.

In all competitions, Arsenal have won their last six home games against Nottingham Forest by an aggregate score of 19-2. The Gunners are unbeaten in 14 games on home soil against Forest (W10 D4) since a 3-1 defeat back in March 1989.

Nottingham Forest have won just two out of 16 Premier League matches against Arsenal (D4 L10), and both wins came at the City Ground, in 1996-97 and 2022-23.

I have to be honest, I only see it going one way today...

Chris Sutton, former Chelsea striker, on BBC Sport:

Change is in the offing for Nottingham Forest?

They couldn't have possibly rowed further away from their previous style of football by appointing Ange Postecoglou.

His style of play is the polar opposite of Nuno Espirito Santo's.

No more sitting back and launching fierce counter-attacks, they will have a high line and Postecoglou will demand his side to control the ball and create openings.

It is going to be box office. Well, it was at Tottenham.

It will be interesting to see how Forest's players cope with the change in style, considering how dramatic it will be.

Not exactly the easiest game to trial it in, either, is it?

Ange Postecoglou, Nottingham Forest boss, speaking on Friday:

This is not a post I envisaged having to write so early in the season...

After guiding Nottingham Forest back to Europe after years of battling relegation, you'd assume Nuno Espirito Santo had enough credit in the bank to keep his job just three games into the new campaign.

Wrong.

Relationships are crucial in football, and Nuno did not have a good one with sporting director Edu. That led to public bashings of the club's business, and a breakdown of his relationship with Evangelos Marinakis.

Once that happened, he was always a goner. It was only a matter of time.

Still, while it felt like the writing was on the wall for Espirito Santo, I was not expecting a Premier League return to happen so soon for Ange Postecoglou. It feels like just yesterday he was sacked by Tottenham.

Well, he's back, and boy, is he a man on a mission.

Well, this is a surprise.

I didn't mention it in the original team news post because, well, I didn't actually notice that Declan Rice wasn't in the line-up.

I think my brain just assumed he was there - he always is.

Not today, though. Mikel Arteta has made a huge call to drop Rice to the bench. I can't think of why, it's strange.

Maybe an injury? Managing minutes? I mean, what else could it be?

It will be interesting to hear what Arteta's reasoning is.

Ange Postecoglou has named his first starting line-up as Nottingham Forest head coach.

And well, it's no different from Nuno's, really.

Only one change from Espirito Santo's last game in charge, with Morato replacing Ola Aina, who doesn't make the squad.

Was there ever any doubt?

Of course, Mikel Arteta trusts Eberechi Eze, and he hands the summer signing his full debut.

William Saliba and Bukayo Saka are both out through injury, so Noni Madueke and Cristhian Msquera start.

David Raya makes his 100th appearance for The Arsenal.

Arsenal fans, I know that you have been wondering whether Eberechi Eze will make his full debut for the club today.

If you have X, you will already know the answer...

But if you don't, then this post is for you, as I want to build a little suspense before revealing the team news.

Will Mikel Arteta throw his shiny new signing into the mix, or will he bide his time with him?

Guys, today's Premier League schedule is absolutely stacked.

I'm not kidding, the top flight is returning with a bang. This is the start of a big Saturday, and I, for one, am buzzing for it.

Here is what's in store:

Oh, it's good to be back, isn't it?

There is no sugarcoating it, the international break can be incredibly dull, and I'm pretty sure we were all wishing the days away just to get a taste of the Premier League again.

Well, I know I was.

Today, it returns with a match that has entertaining written all over it. Ange Postecoglou returns to his old enemy Arsenal with his new Nottingham Forest side. Yep, it's been a long two weeks.

Nobody knows what Forest side is going to turn up today, but what we do know is that it will be very different from the one we have been used to watching over the past 12 months.

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta's Gunners will be hoping to evade Forest's new manager bounce and get back to winning ways, after losing to rivals Liverpool before the break.

Right then, shall we get this show on the road? Yes, we shall.