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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola isn't the world's best manager, according to former Citizens midfielder Didi Hamann.

Is Guardiola having a good season?

The Spaniard has arguably been the most influential figure of the Premier League era at the Etihad Stadium, inspiring City to a glorious period of success. Having arrived back in 2016, he has gone on to win four league titles, four EFL Cups and one FA Cup in the years since.

Granted, Champions League glory has continued to evade Guardiola at City – he won the competition twice during a prolific spell in charge of Barcelona – but he is surely the main reason among many for the club's success, playing some extraordinary football along the way.

This failure to win Europe's greatest club competition with the Citizens is a stick that is often used to beat the 51-year-old with, but he has the chance to silence the doubters this season, with City's quarter-final against Bayern Munich firmly under control heading into the second leg.

Is Man City boss the world's best manager?

Speaking to German outlet Solinger Tageblatt [via Sport Witness], Hamann appeared be one of those naysayers, assessing Guardiola negatively and saying he isn't the world's leading manager at this moment in time:

"In decisive situations, you need players who make decisions themselves. He takes that away from them. Julian Nagelsmann did that too. Tuchel doesn’t do that.

"Guardiola has not managed anything that others have not managed. Everybody tells you that a Pep Guardiola is the super father of coaches.

"But he was in a Champions League final in ten years with Bayern Munich and Man City – and he lost that himself. And now people tell me he’s the best manager in the world – sorry."

This is a strange take from Hamann, who admittedly isn't exactly shy when it comes to criticising great managers, quite often taking issue with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp down the years.

While City's failure to win the Champions League is clearly disappointing, the job that Guardiola is still doing remains magnificent, with a fifth Premier League title in the space of six seasons coming their way if they can pip Arsenal to the trophy in the next month or so.

Whoever the world's best manager happens to be is clearly a subjective call, but to actively make an effort to downplay Guardiola's achievements seems strange from Hamann, especially given the vast influence he has had on English football in terms of the way so many teams play out from the ball now, among other examples.

Journalist Dominic Scurr has claimed that work on Newcastle United’s training ground is pretty much finished.

The Lowdown: PIF continuing to work off the pitch

Since taking over the club, PIF have set out to totally overhaul what had been a dormant outfit under Mike Ashley with a brand new playing squad on offer to Eddie Howe, which has enabled them to challenge for the top four and hand the players a redeveloped training ground.

Work started over the summer to improve Newcastle’s Darsley Park training base, which hadn’t been touched for several years and wouldn’t have done anything to help persuade players to join the club.

Now that the bulk of the work has been completed at Benton – which was on show when Anthony Gordon signed for the club – it should be a more enjoyable place for the players to be and could help them take that next step up.

The Latest: Newcastle’s updated training ground is pretty much complete

Scurr was asked on the Loaded Mag YouTube channel how the work was coming along at Newcastle’s training ground, and he shared the positive news about developments now being close to completion.

He said: “To my knowledge, the actual building work’s done, there’s just a few internal things there that still need sorting as well. But the restaurant side of things, the stuff that will impact players – the changing rooms and stuff like that – has been completed. There’s just a few more things left to do, as far as I’m aware, anyway.”

The Verdict: Work continues to go on behind the scenes

While making big-name signings is what will get fans and the media excited, the fact that PIF are doing more work behind the scenes to improve Newcastle as a football club – not just the men’s first-team squad – is equally as impressive.

Newcastle have already improved their training ground and announced that they will be creating a new fanzone in the near future behind St James’ Park, which only goes to show how the club’s owners have the fans’ interests in mind.

However, PIF bought Newcastle to win silverware and become a dominant force within football, so they’ll want to see a material return on their investment in the form of trophies or Champions League football as well as improving fan satisfaction.

Stats highlights from the two-Test series between West Indies and Sri Lanka

S Rajesh08-Apr-2008

Going into the fourth day of the Trinidad Test, West Indies were in danger of slipping to their eighth series defeat in a row, and their tenth loss in the last 11 series. Thanks to Ramnaresh Sarwan’s superb 102 and his 157-run partnership with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, though, West Indies swept to the third-largest successful run-chase at this ground, thus denying Sri Lanka their first series win in the West Indies. The result also means Sri Lanka haven’t won an away series against a team other than Zimbabwe and Bangladesh since 2000, when they beat Pakistan 2-1. (Click here for Sri Lanka’s overseas series since 2000.)For Sarwan, it capped an excellent series, one in which he topped 50 in every innings. It was a welcome return to form too – in his last 25 innings before this series, he had only scored one century, and averaged 27.20. His fourth-wicket partnership with Chanderpaul is a West Indian record for that wicket against Sri Lanka, and fell just seven runs short of equalling their highest for the fourth wicket in the last innings of a Test.Overall, Sri Lanka had the slightly better numbers in the series, averaging more runs per wicket, and scoring at a faster rate. West Indies, though, raised their batting standards on the last day of the series to give them their second win in their last five Tests.

The partnership numbers for both teams indicate that both teams had problems with their top-order batting. Marlon Samuels had the lowest average among the West Indians, with 29 runs in four innings, while Tillakaratne Dilshan, Michael Vandort and – more surprisingly – Kumar Sangakkara all had ordinary series for Sri Lanka. (Click here for the series averages for West Indies, and here for the averages for Sri Lanka.)Sri Lanka’s opening pair did a fine job, but West Indies’ second-wicket stand was far better, thanks to Sarwan’s run-fest. Further down the order, the fourth-wicket partnership was a huge one for West Indies – it helped them level the series – while Sri Lanka relied heavily on Chaminda Vaas’ batting prowess at No. 7: their stands for the sixth and seventh wickets were both in excess of 50.

Among the bowlers, this was one series in which Vaas easily outdid Muttiah Muralitharan. Vaas, in fact, had an outstanding all-round series, averaging 19.75 per wicket with the ball and 37.67 with the bat. Murali took as many wickets as Vaas, but each one cost him nearly 33.West Indies’ bowling star was Jerome Taylor, whose 11 wickets at 24.81 took him past the 50-wicket milestone in Tests.Head-to-head contestsThe ability of the West Indies top order to tackle the Murali menace was perhaps the most significant aspect of the series. Sarwan, Chanderpaul and Gayle all handled him with a good degree of success, which made the Sri Lankan attack look far less threatening.Vaas, on the other hand, was more than a handful for Samuels, but he had less success against long-time bunny Gayle, who fell just once to Vaas in 58 deliveries.

Raphael Varane has revealed how he earned Cristiano Ronaldo’s respect, with the Frenchman saying there is “no need to be shy” around the Portuguese.

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French defender moved to Spain in 2011Would not be intimidated by anybodyLanded major silverware alongside CR7WHAT HAPPENED?

World Cup winner Varane completed a dream transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2011. Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo had already been at Santiago Bernabeu for a couple of years by that point and was very much the brightest light in Madrid’s galaxy of stars.

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Varane could have been forgiven for feeling a little overawed in such illustrious company, but the classy centre-half merely made a point of making Ronaldo aware of who he was and that he would not be intimated by anybody.

WHAT VARANE SAID ABOUT RONALDO

Quizzed by on whether one of his first interactions with Ronaldo saw him respond with “I’m Rapha” after being referred to as “’Varane” by CR7, the current Manchester United star said: “Yes it’s true, I think that on the field there is no need to be shy. I am someone who is quite reserved outside but on the field you have to make your own place and be respected.”

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That is a mindset that Ronaldo can get behind, as someone who has spent his entire career pursuing perfection. Varane shares a similar desire to win, but added on how even the very best in the business need to learn how to turn energy levels on and off. He added: “That's the challenge for great teams, to succeed in winning while exerting less energy on the pitch. You can't put your full energy into everything when there are games every three days. You can't run a marathon every day. I had periods where we played Clasico, Champions League, Clasico – in a week you feel like you've lived an entire life!”

Bayern Munich will not sack Thomas Tuchel in the wake of their 3-2 loss to Bochum, but CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen refused to offer the board's support.

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• Bayern beaten for third time in a row
• Tuchel under fire after another loss
• CEO says he will be in charge next week

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bayern found themselves 3-1 down at Bochum in a match that was interrupted on two occasions because of fan protests. Kane managed to pull a goal back late on for the German giants, but he could not prevent his team from losing a third consecutive match. Coach Tuchel has come under pressure amid the reigning Bundesliga champions' miserable run, and reports he is not considering resigning and has been assured that he will not be fired.

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  WHAT DREESEN SAID

  Asked by if Tuchel will be sacked, Dreesen said: "It was clear that this question was coming, it had been looming for some time. I don't believe in these monstrous statements of support for coaches. I've already said something about this, but it's not a question that arises for us today. We have to concentrate on the next games.

  "I know how you want to hear it. I can say it that way too. But these vows of loyalty are usually over after a week, so I say it in my own way. I've said before – and I'll even repeat myself – that's not an issue we're currently dealing with."

  When he was asked if Tuchel will still be in charge next week, Dreesen said: "Of course!"

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  Bayern's misery began when the Bavarian side were outclassed in a 3-0 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen – in which they failed to have a shot on target – last week. They followed that up with another disappointing performance in the Champions League, losing 1-0 to Lazio in the first leg of their last-16 tie. The loss at Bochum now leaves Bayern eight points behind Leverkusen in the Bundesliga table.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

  Bayern have another difficult test coming up as they take on RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on February 24. Leipzig put up a good fight when they came up against Real Madrid in the Champions League during the week, though they ended up losing 1-0, and followed that up with a 2-0 win against Borussia Monchengladbach to keep them fifth in the league.

Karim Benzema is set for crunch talks with Al-Ittihad to clear the air over his future after January links with Manchester United and Chelsea.

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Benzema to remain at Al-IttihadStriker wants clarity on his futureHas been linked with Chelsea and Man UtdWHAT HAPPENED?

The French striker is staying put at Al-Ittihad, at least until the summer. However, with Benzema still feeling unsettled in the Middle East he wants to get clarity about his future before the next transfer window.

According to , the former Real Madrid striker is already engaged in discussions with Al-Ittihad this week, focusing on clarifying their plans ahead of the upcoming summer window.

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Jacobs added that there was neither a formal request nor an approval for Benzema to leave the club in January. Both Al-Ittihad and key figures in the Saudi dealmakers have expressed a desire for Benzema to extend his stay for another season.

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Although Chelse and United were linked to Benzema, there are no concrete offers from any of the English top-flight clubs. Efforts by Lyon to bring Benzema back proved impossible due to the substantial wage cut required. Meanwhile, Ittihad continue to assert that any potential bid from other clubs, including those in the English Premier League, would have been rejected.

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Benzema has a three-year deal with Al-Ittihad until 2026. Although he has scored 12 goals in 20 games, the former French international has often come under the scanner over his performances in the recent past, which has irked the striker.

Although they are the reigning champions, they currently sit seventh in the 18-team division after losing their last three league games before the mid-season break due to the AFC Asian Cup.

RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who has been linked with Manchester United and Chelsea, has a low release clause that becomes active this summer.

Sesko moved to RB Leipzig in summerHas release clause in current contractStriker of interest to Premier League clubsWHAT HAPPENED?

Sesko snubbed a move to Manchester United in the summer when he left Red Bull Salzburg to join RB Leipzig on a five-year deal. According to , his contract at RB Leipzig contains a release clause of €50 million (£42m/$54m) that can be activated in the summer.

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The news of Sesko's relatively low release clause is likely to be of interest to his admirers. United are in the midst of a disappointing season and could look to overhaul their squad in the summer, particularly as they have a striker shortage. Chelsea have also been linked with a move for Sesko as they look to boost their attacking options.

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Sesko became the youngest player to score for RB Leipzig in the Champions League when he netted against Young Boys in September at the age of 20 years and 111 days.

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Sesko may well be tempted to move on if there is interest in the summer. The youngster is not a regular starter at RB Leipzig currently but has scored seven goals in all competitions for the Bundesliga side so far this season.

Liverpool remain in negotiations with Southampton for midfielder Romeo Lavia, but to the indignation of the Anfield support, progress is moving at a snail's pace with the 2023/24 Premier League campaign just one week away.

Who are Liverpool signing this summer?

The summer transfer market started so brightly for the Reds, with Alexis Mac Allister arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion in a £35m deal before Dominik Szoboszlai was captured from RB Leipzig for £60m.

But progress was hampered when Saudi interest led to the departures of industrious midfield duo Fabinho and – captain – Jordan Henderson.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Jurgen Klopp's side have since seen two bids for Lavia rejected, the second offer, £41m, still some way below Saints' £50m demand for the precocious engine room machine.

What is Romeo Lavia's style of play?

Lavia has been superb since joining Southampton from Manchester City one year ago in a deal potentially rising to £14m, and his performances on the south coast suggest that he boasts every ounce of quality requisite for success at the very highest level.

The 19-year-old would be a long-term project and the successor to Fabinho's role as the midfield anchor at Anfield, though given his Premier League displays over the past year there will be confidence at Liverpool that he could hit the ground running.

As per Sofascore, he recorded an average rating of 6.80 in the English top-flight, despite the tumult at St. Mary's Stadium and the discordant and disjointed harmony of Southampton's squad, resulting in a 20th-placed finish.

If Klopp succeeds in his pursuit, the £38k-per-week ace will be able to slot seamlessly into the Liverpool centre; the words of The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell corroborate the argument, as he said: in terms of technical quality and tactical understanding, he's more than ready to go right into that Liverpool midfield."

It is his innate ease and presence in the No. 6 role that will consequently allow teammates around him to flourish, with his ranking among the top 4% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for blocks per 90, as per FBref, illustrating his tenacity and determination to stifle opposition transitions.

Szoboszlai would certainly benefit from Lavia's arrival at Anfield, with the 32-cap Hungary captain's creative capabilities requiring steel-clad framework behind him to ensure he can effectively contribute to the offensive efforts.

And the £120k-per-week maestro could aid Lavia in his work too, ranking among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers for blocks and the top 13% for clearances per 90.

Szoboszlai recorded an exemplary average rating of 7.42 in the German Bundesliga last season after scoring six goals and supplying eight assists from 28 starting appearances, creating 2.3 key passes per game, averaging 1.5 tackles per match and completing 83% of his passes.

Lavia is the "absolute monster" – as called by journalist Benjy Nurick – that Szoboszlai needs to thrive in the Premier League, while he can also utilise his own dynamism and defensive application to ensure that the workload is not too great for the teenage talent; it could be a partnership for the ages on Merseyside and Liverpool must ensure that they get this one over the line.

Local uncapped talent will constitute only 16% of the total players in the Bangladesh Premier League this season – an all-time low – as a result of the BPL governing council’s decision to allow franchises to field five overseas cricketers in an XI.

Count of uncapped Bangladesh players in each season

• BPL 2012 (5 foreigners): Total 111; local uncapped 26 (23%)

• BPL 2013 (5 foreigners): Total 134; local uncapped 35 (26%)

• BPL 2015 (4 foreigners): Total 120; local uncapped 24 (20%)

• BPL 2016 (4 foreigners): Total 131; local uncapped 31 (23%)
  BPL 2017 (5 foreigners): Total 180; local uncapped 29 (16%)

This is a throwback to the regulations used in 2012 and 2013, although back then the BPL was in its infancy still finding its feet as a T20 tournament. And yet, the local uncapped players constituted 26% of the pool in 2013 while the corresponding figure in the inaugural edition in 2012 was 23%. The year 2015 was an aberration: even with only four foreigners in an XI, the uncapped players count was as low as 20%.When announcing the regulation earlier this year, the BPL governing council said it took the decision after consulting the participating franchises. Rajshahi Kings weren’t in favour of the move.Khulna Titans have the largest contingent of Bangladeshi uncapped players – seven – while Sylhet Sixers and Comilla Victorians have only three. Sylhet have signed three uncapped overseas players as well.Dhaka Dynamites coach Khaled Mahmud was unsure if the move would benefit Bangladesh cricket, but he did say there aren’t many players in the country who are explosive enough to play T20 cricket.”I would call it a concern but we also have to realise that we don’t have enough quality,” he said. “We have already lost seven local players [with the axing of Barisal Bulls] but I would still say that finding a place in the team is what the local players need as a challenge. The young players should have competition rather than having a confirmed team. There aren’t many T20 specialists in our pipeline, but at the same time, they need opportunities to be honest.”As a means to address that, BPL secretary Ismail Haider Mallick said: “We are thinking of holding a domestic T20 tournament with only local players, with the Dhaka Premier League (one-day tournament) or the four Bangladesh Cricket League (first-class) teams. So about 48 players will be able to play.”Reactions to these new regulations was divided. Nabil Samad, an experienced domestic performer, felt that “Bangladeshi players got more opportunities with bat and ball when seven local players were around. But this time the scope has become limited for batsmen, especially those in the top-order. Teams usually try to utilise foreign players in those positions”Meanwhile Khulna fast bowler Abu Jayed chose to see the bright side. “BPL is a good platform to enter the national team, because it lets us stay in focus. There isn’t any media coverage in National Cricket League (first-class cricket) and Bangladesh Cricket League. I think we can look at the positive of it. We will be brought into focus if we do well. There aren’t many of us.”

With the Premier League returning to action next month, there are plenty of standout fixtures to have fans salivating.

Friendly football simply cannot compare to the intensity, drama and intrigue that this famous division brings, with the summer providing a sluggish buffer between the last campaign and this upcoming one. Even transfer sagas cannot truly fill that void.

Of the standout games from this game week, Vincent Kompany’s return to Manchester City will likely draw the most attention. However, the impending battle at the Emirates could instead provide a more thrilling viewing – if history is to repeat itself.

With Arsenal hosting a Nottingham Forest side who battled to survive last term, it marks the meeting of two sides who will have wholly different goals for this season.

With a 12.30pm kick-off on Saturday 12th August and subscribers to TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) set to enjoy this fixture live, there is reason to believe that they will be treated to a thriller in north London.

As the home support seek to will Mikel Arteta’s men one step further than last year after handing the league title to Manchester City, the travelling side will be hoping to upset the favourites with their steely brand of football.

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest: Who has the better head-to-head record?

It is clear that Arsenal, as a club with a rich history littered with successes, are unsurprisingly the more dominant side when these two heavyweights have met.

Their continued presence within the top flight has aided their ability to stay at the top, whilst Arsene Wenger’s imperious reign supplemented this domination. As such, it will not just be their opening-day opponent who has endured a similar record against the Gunners.

Not to discount the fine history boasted by Forest, though, who enjoyed their own period of success under the legendary Brian Clough.

Arsenal wins: 52 Draws: 22 Nottingham Forest wins: 29 Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest: Who has more wins at the Emirates/Highbury?

The home advantage that north London offers has allowed them to cruise to many victories, with the visiting Tricky Trees winning just four times.

Both Highbury and the Emirates Stadium have experienced its own slices of success and provided a fear factor bolstered by the beautiful football often on show. It seems like the latter has taken the atmosphere to new heights of late, buoyed by their steady progress under their Spanish coach into true challengers for the title.

As such, even at their best, Forest struggled against this club away from home.

Arsenal wins: 27 Draws: 14 Nottingham Forest wins: 4 Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest: Who has more wins at the City Ground?

When in Nottingham, however, a far more even affair is assured. Whilst the Gunners still have recorded more wins, it is a far closer-run contest, with only three victories in it.

This should come as no surprise given the consistently exceptional levels upheld by the Gunners, who have proven a match for any opponent on their day.

Despite being the second-oldest league football club in the world, the City Ground is their seventh home, which they moved into in 1898.

Arsenal wins: 24 Draws: 7 Nottingham Forest wins: 21 Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest: Who has the better cup record?

As the kings of the FA Cup, there is no club as successful in that competition as Arsenal. Their record of 14 victories stands alone, though in the League Cup, they have not been as fruitful. Just two wins mark an underperformance for a club of this stature.

Meanwhile, Forest have won the latter competition four times, but only have two FA Cup triumphs to their name.

When facing each other on the way to a potential final, it is unsurprising that the Gunners have come out on top more often. Six wins is a narrow improvement on the three of the Nottingham side, but it has clearly been enough to claim silverware on numerous occasions. Recently though, it is the smaller side who have triumphed in the cups.

Arsenal wins: 6 Draws: 0 Nottingham Forest wins: 3 Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest: What were the last 5 meetings?

20th May 2023 – Nottingham Forest 1-0 Arsenal: In a game that had huge repercussions at both ends of the table, Nottingham Forest claimed the most unlikely victory as Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal separated the sides.

Despite dominating the ball, Arteta’s men could not find a breakthrough past Steve Cooper’s staunch backline.

It was a result that was met with wild celebrations at full-time, as it secured safety for the Tricky Trees and handed the Premier League title to Manchester City.

30th October 2022 – Arsenal 5-0 Nottingham Forest: With the World Cup on the horizon, Arsenal dominated Forest to bring them crashing back down to earth after a shock win over Liverpool the week before.

Gabriel Martinelli started the rout with an early header, and despite Bukayo Saka being forced off with injury, Reiss Nelson stepped up to spearhead a stunning victory. Two goals and an assist from the substitute, alongside further strikes from Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard, helped the hosts cement their place at the top of the table.

9th January 2022 – Nottingham Forest 1-0 Arsenal: The fact that Arteta felt the need to apologise for his team's showing in this match speaks volumes for the manner of the performance.

Despite rotating, Steve Cooper’s rampant outfit shocked the 14-time winners of the competition to dump them out, with Lewis Grabban’s finish seven minutes from time proving to be the difference.

This was a part of Forest’s impressive FA Cup run this campaign, which saw them also knock out Leicester City before narrowly losing to Liverpool in the quarter-finals.

24th September 2019 – Arsenal 5-0 Nottingham Forest: Facing Championship opposition in the cup always poses a threat for the bigger clubs, especially when they are as tricky as Forest can often be.

However, Unai Emery led his team to a comfortable victory in the end, as goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Rob Holding, Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock helped Arsenal reach the fourth round of the EFL Cup.

7th January 2018 – Nottingham Forest 4-2 Arsenal: Another cup clash between these two saw Forest once again dump out the holders, as they took the lead three times to frustrate Arsene Wenger, inflicting his one and only FA Cup third round defeat.

The Frenchman was forced to watch this clash from the sidelines as a three-match touchline ban kicked in, whilst the hosts had a caretaker manager in charge, and this lack of structure made for a spectacle for the neutral.

Who has played for Arsenal and Nottingham Forest?

Carl Jenkinson (Arsenal 2011-2019; Nottingham Forest 2019-2022): Joining with a big reputation as a defensive stalwart for the future, it quickly became clear that this man was not up to the requisite level for Wenger. The 31-year-old would play just 70 games during his eight years in north London before Nottingham Forest were willing to take him off their hands.

He would fare no better at the City Ground, falling out of favour and eventually leaving at the expiry of his contract.

Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal 2008-2019; Nottingham Forest 2010-2011): Tempted to join Arsenal over rivals Manchester United due to the allure of Wenger, the Welshman became something of a cult hero in north London for his silkiness and technical prowess from the engine room.

Despite injuries plaguing his time at the Emirates, he still scored two FA Cup-winning goals; the first came to complete their comeback against Hull City in 2014, while his finish helped them beat London rivals Chelsea to once again win the competition three years later.

It may surprise some that the 32-year-old actually spent a tough year on loan at the City Ground, where opportunities remained sparse for the maestro. He has since returned to his boyhood club Cardiff City on a free transfer.

Henri Lansbury (Arsenal 2007-2012; Nottingham Forest 2012-2017): Lansbury actually came up through Arsenal’s academy, but would only make eight senior appearances before being allowed to leave for around £1m.

This proved to be quite the steal, as the midfield general would quickly establish himself as a mainstay across various managers in Nottingham, even captaining Forest on his way to making 150 showings. Even in departing the club, he recouped a £3m fee from Aston Villa, to allow him to leave on good terms.

Kevin Campbell (Arsenal 1988-1995; Nottingham Forest 1995-1998): Another recruit to come up through Arsenal’s academy, Kevin Campbell was a powerful No 9 who epitomised the philosophy of his time.

A pure goalscorer, he accumulated fans at every club he played due to his personable demeanour and quality. Somewhat overshadowed by Ian Wright, he would still score 46 league goals for the Gunners before joining Forest.

Despite then being relegated, his 22-goal haul helped them return to the top flight at the first time of asking.

What is Arsenal’s biggest victory over Nottingham Forest?

24th April 1915 – Arsenal 7-0 Nottingham Forest – During Arsenal's last season outside of the top flight, their seven-goal drubbing of Nottingham Forest remains their largest margin of victory over their opening-day opponents more than a century on.

Four goals from Harry King, a Bob Benson brace and a solitary Jock Rutherford goal provided the Gunners with their win in what was the final campaign before the league was suspended due to the First World War.

What is Nottingham Forest’s biggest victory over Arsenal?

9th November 1957: Nottingham Forest 4-0 Arsenal – It has been nearly 50 years since Forest's most dominant display over the Gunners, with this one-sided league clash eventually helping to separate the sides in the final league table as the hosts would end the campaign three points ahead of their mid-table opponents.

A double from Tommy Wilson set Forest on their way, while goals from Jim Barrett and Stewart Imlach completed the rout.

Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest: Key match stats

This will be the 104th meeting between these two teams. Nottingham Forest’s presence in this coming top-flight campaign will be their second consecutive season since 1999. Arsenal have never spent a campaign outside of the top tier of English football since their first appearance, though they have still only played in the fourth-highest number of seasons (107). Liverpool, Aston Villa and Everton have all featured in more. Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest: Classic meetings

22nd September 1990: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Arsenal (League Divison One) – Although seemingly a routine away victory for Arsenal, this crucial win, with goals from Anders Limpar and David Rocastle, helped to bring a tenth English league title to north London that season.

8th March 1997: Arsenal 2-0 Nottingham Forest (Premier League) – In a team littered with stars, it was Dennis Bergkamp who unsurprisingly shone brightest as his brace helped secure all three points for Arsene Wenger’s side.

The mercurial Dutch forward was supplemented by Paul Merson, Patrick Vieira, Martin Keown and Tony Adams to name just a few, as their French coach was building towards the league title he would win the following year.