Nuno Espirito Santo has expressed that Nottingham Forest’s impressive start to the season, which sees them level on points with Arsenal, has not caught those at the club by surprise. Forest currently sits in fifth place with 19 points after 11 games, a start Nuno describes as aligning with his expectations for the early part of the season.
“We expect total commitment from the players to get things right,” he said. “While others might find our start surprising, for us, it’s not. We work with them every day, and we know their ability and talent. We expect a lot from them.”
A key highlight of Forest’s season so far was their 1-0 victory at Anfield against Liverpool, a result that should provide them with confidence going into their upcoming match against Arsenal. However, Nuno acknowledges that facing Arsenal will present a different set of challenges.
“The performance will be different,” Nuno stated. “Our tactical approach will change because Arsenal plays in a specific way, and we need to manage that. It’s a new challenge for us with a new team.”
While Arsenal is known for their strength in set-piece situations, Forest has significantly improved in this area. After struggling defensively in set-piece situations last season, Forest went ten games without conceding from a set-piece until their recent 3-1 defeat to Newcastle.
Nuno credited the improvement to the players’ understanding and hard work. “The first step was recognizing that we needed to improve in this area, and the players put in a lot of effort. They spent countless hours on the training ground. While the last match wasn’t perfect, their dedication deserves recognition.”
Ahead of the Arsenal game, Nuno will assess several players returning from international duty. One of those players is Murillo, who received his first call-up to the Brazil national team but didn’t make his debut. Nuno downplayed any potential disappointment, saying, “I don’t think it’s disappointing for him. We’re proud of our players being involved with their national teams. Being called up by Brazil shows his quality. He’ll need to be patient for his opportunity, but we’re happy for his involvement.”
