Sean Dyche Hints at Low-Block Tactics as Nottingham Forest Host Arsenal
Nottingham Forest are gearing up to welcome league leaders Arsenal to the City Ground in a Premier League clash on Saturday, the 17th of January, 2026 – kick off at 5.30 on the dot. The Gunners are catching everyone’s eye as the clear favourites to take the three points in this one.
Arsenal’s Dominant Position at the Top
Currently top of the pile, six points clear with 21 games gone, the Gunners have put together a pretty impressive record of 15-4-2, with a whopping 40 goals scored and just 14 let in.
Mikel Arteta’s men are odds on to win the title for the first time in ages, but their recent form has been such that its safe to say they’re well on their way already. A run of games unbeaten, including a strong showing in the Carabao Cup, has left them in real contention
If they keep up the good work, theyll be well and truly the ones to beat – but, as we all know, thats never the case when facing a Sean Dyche side on the road.
Sean Dyche’s Tactical Insight: Expect a Low Block
Sean Dyche, who took over at Notts Forest over the winter, has a history of causing problems for Arsenal with some seriously clever defensive setups. While Arsenal have generally had the better of his teams in the past, there have been a few games where his teams have caused them all sorts of grief.
Their last encounter was in December 2024, when Arsenal absolutely bossed the possession stats (76%) and had 12 shots – but Dyche’s Everton at the time never looked like getting back into the game, an absolute shut out.
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Dyche is pretty clearly planning the same sort of approach. At his pre match presser, he got asked to outline what Forest would need to do to get a result against the league leaders and this is basically what he said:
“You’ve got to work hard, you know what I mean… You’ve got to get the basics right and have a solid defensive shape. Get to work hard, out of the ball and sometimes just wait patiently for opportunities to come your way. They do keep the ball pretty well, they’re pretty productive. They move the ball forward quicker than they used to and everyone keeps going on about their set pieces, but theyre not just a team who will get you on the breaks with set pieces – its a team thats very good on the pitch. Theres just going to have to be ready to deal with this on all fronts.”
The way he talks, its pretty clear that he’s banking on a low block – something that Arteta will more than likely be prepared for by the time the two teams kick off.
Arsenal’s Historical Struggles Against Low Blocks
Arsenal are built for the more open, fast-paced matches where they can show off their possession football and creativity But its not a style that plays to their strengths when teams park the bus and invite pressure – that’s been their problem for a while now.
Dyche has already shown that he’s got a winning formula to prevent Arsenal from dropping points using a deep-lying defence – and Forest are likely to go down a similar rabbit hole to try and sneak a result at home. Forest will be stinging from a disappointing FA Cup exit to Wrexham which will make them all the more motivated to try and cause a shock.
If Arsenal are to come away with the three points they’re going to need their attacking players to be firing on all cylinders to unlock a Forest defense that’s likely to be dug in. If they can get an early goal in, that’ll help take the sting out of things as the game wears on and frustration starts to kick in.
Arsenal v Forest – Key Tactical Battle and What Arteta Might Do
Arteta must be getting a bit anxious about dropping points with the league table the way it is The match looks like it could turn into a bit of a grudge match, with Forest looking to wear them down with their hard work and Arsenal wanting to make sure they keep their lead.
One thing that will be interesting to see is whether Arteta decides to shake things up and bring on some of his more creative players – like Eberechi Eze who arrived in a big-money deal last summer and will be chomping at the bit for a run out alongside the likes of Martin Odegaard, to try and unlock Forest’s low block.
This is going to be a real test of strength and endurance at the City Ground, with Forest looking to pull Arsenal apart with their defensive setup and Arsenal trying to add to their lead. Will Dyche’s plan hold up to the pressure, or will Arsenal find a way to break through?
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Sean Dyche Hints at Low-Block Tactics as Nottingham Forest Host Arsenal