As Arsenal prepare to continue their Premier League title defence against Nottingham Forest in Sunday's clash at the City Ground, Sports Mole site coordinator Ben Knapton highlights Mikel Arteta's "only concern" for the battle with Oliver Glasner's side.

Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal: Mikel Arteta's "only real concern" highlighted before Premier League game

The only real concern is the first halves. Arsenal have not scored in the first half of their last five games - not since the win against Chelsea at the beginning of September - apart from Ipswich in the EFL Cup.

It is a little concerning because I wonder how it will hold up if Arsenal play a proper elite attacking team. We have already faced Chelsea and quelled them quite well, but say we face a PSG, a Bayern Munich, or a Barcelona who can go two or three-nil up within half an hour, can Arsenal respond to that?

It is not so difficult when you are just 1-0 down or it is 0-0 in the second half and you can bring on those game-changing players, as Arteta did against Leeds and Lille.

Against Lille, Arsenal should have scored first. There was the Guimaraes chance and a couple for Gyokeres, who could not really get into the game.

There was quite a bit of mixed opinion about his performance, some saying that is why he is the second choice striker and that is why Kai Havertz is now Arteta's main man.

But then Merino was playing as a number 10, which he just is not. You either play him as a number eight or as that emergency number nine. He does not have that quick-thinking, sharp, creative brain of someone like Martin Odegaard. So Gyokeres was not helped by that at all.

There was that chance against Leeds where Trafford came out of his goal and it was effectively an open goal, difficult because the ball was on the wing and still a good 30 or 40 yards out, but either way it was a bit of a mess.

When Arteta can bring on Havertz, Odegaard, and Saka, those refreshed players make all the difference. The game management in the second half against Lille was top class.

In the first half, Lille defended very well, but Arsenal wore them down, with individual brilliance from Timber to open the scoring. Then bringing on those game-changing players really ripped Lille apart.

Saka got both a goal and assist and now has five goals and assists in nine games this season. There was quite a bit of criticism of him after the Leeds game, particularly after he missed that last-minute one-on-one against Trafford.

Can Arsenal defy "miserable" away record against Nottingham Forest?

Now Arsenal need to do it from the first whistle against a Nottingham Forest side that have only scored five goals this season.

Arsenal have drawn 0-0 at the City Ground on their last two visits. Last season was an appalling game there, as was the season before.

They have failed to score in four of their last five trips to the City Ground, with only one win there in six. A miserable place to go for Arsenal fans.

They lost there in the FA Cup a few years ago, which is always remembered for the infamous Arteta rant on the All or Nothing documentary. They also lost there in the Premier League the following season.

The 23-24 season is their only win from those last six at the City Ground. But I think Arsenal are going to defy that recent record and put a win on the board this weekend.