Nottingham Forest v Arsenal Live Commentary & Result, 07/01/2018, FA Cup

Arsenal, meanwhile, were atrocious. Arsene Wenger made nine changes to his side and those that came in, particularly the more experienced players who are looking to force their way into the team, were not good enough. Defensively they were all over the place, which is shown by the fact they've conceded two penalties today.

The hosts were superb and ran Arsenal ragged, particularly Ben Brereton in attack. Smith in the net was also fantastic and they thoroughly deserve their spot in tomorrow evening's fourth round draw.

FULL-TIME! Nottingham Forest have claimed the scalp of the defending champions! A brilliant performance and a fantastic match which had it all- goals, two penalties, contentious decisions and a red card. Remarkable!

M. Mills

K. Dowell

90' + 3' Final change of the game for the hosts, who bring on Matt Mills to replace Dowell - who looks to have won the match for the Championship side.

90' + 2' SAVE! That may have been the moment! Nketiah pounces on a loose ball and chips a shot over the top of Smith, which is superbly saved. Walcott is charging down the rebound but hits the side netting.

90' + 1' FOUR minutes added on! Which seems very, very short in truth considering we've had numerous substitutions, a huge break with the appeals either side of the penalty and the red card.

J. Worrall

Yellow 2nd/RC

89' Yellow 2nd/RC Joe Worrall

J. Worrall

Yellow Card

88' Yellow card Joe Worrall

C. Akpom

M. Debuchy

87' Right, another Arsenal change. The housekeeping is almost done. Akpom is on, with Debuchy replaced.

B. McKay

M. Cash

87' Forest have made their second change, with McKay coming on for Cash.

D. Welbeck

Yellow Card

86' Yellow card Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck

P. Mertesacker

Yellow Card

86' Mertesacker is also booked for his appeals. It's all happening!

D. Ospina

Yellow Card

85' Ospina is furious with the referee and is booked for his appeals.

K. Dowell

Penalty Goal

85' IT'S GIVEN! Dowell is given the benefit of the doubt but it has hit him twice! He's kicked it into his other foot! The drama!

85' What is happening!? Dowell slips but finds the net and Arsenal are appealing that he touched the ball twice.

85' Well, he did get a touch on the ball there and there's a debate to be had - but Debuchy is giving the referee a decision to make with a challenge like that.

M. Debuchy

Yellow Card

84' Debuchy is given a yellow card for the foul, which isn't surprising.

84' PENALTY AGAIN! Arsenal sloppily give the ball away and former Gunner Armand Traore skips forward. It's a clumsy tackle from Debuchy and Forest have the chance to restore their two-goal advantage!

82' Arsenal have found a spring in their step and will pile on the pressure. Both sides do still have two changes apiece to make, so there's a chance for both.

80' A huge finale to this game now and it's impossible to predict. Forest have the capacity to score again, Arsenal have the quality in their side to turn it around. Cue the tedious mention of 'FA Cup magic'.

D. Welbeck

Goal

79' GOAL! Arsenal get one back! Smith, who has been superb, makes a crucial mistake. He charges off his line but loses the ball, giving Welbeck an easy finish. Game on!

78' Brilliantly defending from Mancienne, who slides in to clear Walcott's low ball away from inside the area, but once again it's not good enough for the Arsenal man.

76' Smith off his line again to snatch an aerial ball, preventing Welbeck from finding an opportunity inside the area. He's also been fantastic, although relatively untested.

74' If you've never watched football before and turn this game on, you'd think it was Forest who were the defending champions and the Premier League side. They've been by far the better team today and thoroughly deserve their advantage.

72' It's certainly not over, as you can expect to see Arsenal pile on the pressure in an attempt to turn the game around. With the space they've left at the back throughout the game though, I wouldn't bet against Forest finding the net again.

70' SAVE! Arsenal finally craft something, with Nketiah showing quick feet to find room for a shot, but Smith is quickly off his line to make an important save.

69' Forest, meanwhile, have been significantly better than the form guide suggests. I can't recall how many times I've mentioned Brereton here but it's not enough, he's been brilliant.

68' Smith is yet to be tested properly by an Arsenal attack that includes two England internationals that are hopeful of making the World Cup and one of Nigeria's finest players. It's a disaster!

67' Take nothing away from Forest but Arsenal have been dreadful. The defence has been at sixes and sevens, Elneny has been nonexistent and the attack, with all their experience, don't look like they could fight their way out of a wet paper bag.

E. Nketiah

J. Willock

65' Arsenal make their first change of the game as they bring on Nketiah, who scored a hat-trick in the League Cup earlier this season, in place of Willock.

B. Brereton

Penalty Goal

64' GOAL! Brereton gets the goal that he deserves and Nottingham Forest are in dreamland! The 18-year-old doesn't feel the pressure at all, sending Ospina the wrong way.

64' PENALTY! Holding kicks out and isn't aware of Cash's presence, so there's now a chance for Forest to put one foot in the fourth round!

63' Brereton has got Holding and Mertesacker in his back pocket. I have no idea where the Arsenal central midfielders are but they've giving Forest's young forward an easy task.

61' CHANCE! Forest spring for the first-time in the second-half and it's Walker who drives a dangerous ball into the middle towards Brereton but Holding is there to put it behind for a corner, which comes to nothing.

60' Free-kick for Arsenal, which Walcott delivers into the middle but it's an easy take for Smith. Very, very poor.

58' Brereton has been superb today and he's just 18! He forces a foul from Holding, buying his side a free-kick on the halfway line and allowing the defence a chance to catch their breath.

T. Walker

Z. Clough

56' First change of the game is a Forest one, as the hosts introduce Tyler Walker- the son of 1991 FA Cup finalist Des Walker. Clough is the man replaced.

54' Debuchy is getting forward at every opportunity and it's another good delivery from the experienced Frenchman, though Smith is once again able to charge forward off his line and collect the ball.

52' Arsenal controlling the play of the game very well and Forest are under a lot of pressure. It's a dangerous trend for the hosts but, crucially, they still retain the advantage.

50' Smith comes out to collect Debuchy's cross easily and Arsenal's frustrating performance in the final third continues. They simply haven't clicked, which has been a problem for the Gunners throughout the season so far.

48' Second period has begun in pretty much the same fashion as we saw throughout the opening 45 minutes, with Arsenal dominating possession but not doing anything with it.

46' Arsenal last went out in the third round 21 years ago. Arsene Wenger has never lost an FA Cup game at this stage. If that record is continue, Arsenal need to be a lot better.

45' KICK-OFF! Back underway for the second-half and Forest, with the lead, get us started - now kicking to the left.

I have to say with Arsenal, it's the experienced players letting them down. Mertesacker has struggled and Elneny was asleep for the second goal. In attack, Iwobi has been a passenger, Walcott looks like his head is down in Southampton and Welbeck can't find his rhythm.

Arsenal's performance has been very Arsenal-like. They've dominated possession but have struggled to create clear-cut openings and have looked wide open at the back on a number of occasions. The biggest concern here is that Wenger's tinkering means there isn't any sort of experience to bring on from the bench.

As it stands Lichaj will have the headlines but Brereton up front for Forest has been a force to be reckoned with, despite struggling to find support from his team-mates. He's kept the Arsenal back line on their toes, particularly Mertesacker, though he does need to be better when he gets opportunity to test Ospina.

That's the end of a fantastic first-half! Nottingham Forest have taken the lead twice and Eric Lichaj has been the man of the moment. His opener was quickly cancelled out by Arsenal skipper Per Mertesacker but a spectacular effort in the dying minutes of the first-half has given the Championship side the lead once again.

45' Forest have scored their second at the ideal time as Arsenal won't have time for a quick responses. The hosts won't want this period to finish though but they can be very pleased with their performances so far.

E. Lichaj

Goal

44' WHAT A GOAL! Lichaj is on the scoresheet again! Arsenal head the ball away after Cash finds room down the right but the clearance only goes as far as the defender. He takes a touch on the chest and volleys a looping effort towards goal, which Ospina is nowhere near.

43' Small break in proceedings as Ospina requires treatment for what looks like a dislocated finger. Debuchy is over to do the dirty work, popping it back in. Arsenal will hope he can continue and it's likely to be assessed at the break.

42' Forest may regret not taking these chances. Brereton is getting a lot of space but you'd expect Arsenal to rectify that weakness during the interval.

41' SAVE! Brereton once again gets behind Arsenal after a ball over the top but he struggles to get the ball out of his feet before forcing Ospina into a save, with Mertesacker then hacking the loose ball clear.

39' Nelson tries a pop at goal, dragging a low shot towards the near post, but it's wide of the mark and Smith had it covered.

38' To be fair to Forest, they have limited the opportunities that Arsenal have had in front of goal and I can't recall a clear cut chance that the Gunners have created.

36' OFFSIDE! Iwobi feeds through Welbeck, who forces Smith into a save, but the flag is raised on the far side.

34' Arsenal banging on the door but they're looking vulnerable against the counter-attack. Brereton is isolated in the Forest attack, which is making it easier for the visitors, but he has found some joy.

32' SAVE! A big, big moment! Brereton again finds space and charges through, finding room for a shot and forcing Ospina into a decent save. He then finds room again but this time the offside flag is raised.

31' It's been all Arsenal since the equaliser though and only decent defending from former Gunner Traore is enough to stop Walcott from getting on the end of a cross at the Far Post. Shortly after, Iwobi finally appeared and sent an effort way over the bar.

29' Tell you what, the phrase 'FA Cup magic' is extremely tedious but we have seen a fantastic game here so far.

27' It's the Arsenal fans that are in full voice yet again and the swift equaliser will be vital. The Gunners have remarkably lost just one of their last 23 FA Cup matches, with that defeat coming in a quarter-final game with Watford two seasons ago.

25' Nottingham Forest have to do it all over again. There's question marks over the free-kick that Arsenal won, as Nelson went down easily, but Arsenal will be relieved to get a favourable decision going their way after two questionable penalty calls in recent weeks.

P. Mertesacker

Goal

23' GOAL! That's what Arsenal have in their locker! Mertesacker equalises for the Gunners in the blink of an eye and it's again a free-kick that proves the opportunity. Walcott clips into the middle where Holding heads onto the post, with the ball then falling to Mertesacker- who takes one touch with his chest and then strikes home.

22' Now it's time to see what this young Arsenal side have in their locker. They do have experience, particularly in attack, and they'll need to show their class. I don't recall Alex Iwobi seeing the ball yet though.

K. Dowell

Assist

20' Brilliant delivery from Dowell but questions have to be asked of the Arsenal defence, who failed to realise that Lichaj was onside due to the wall. That made it far too easy for Forest and they capitalised.

E. Lichaj

Goal

20' GOAL! Nottingham Forest take the lead! Maitland-Niles concedes a free-kick out wide and Dowell's delivery is powerful, with Lichaj able to head home near the line. Ospina was nowhere near it and Lichaj had acres of room.

18' SAVE! Almost an even better start for Forest! Clough stretches his legs out wide and then darts inside, only to be haulted by a superb tackle from Mertesacker. The ball falls to Cash though and he drives a low effort at goal, which Ospina does brilliantly to turn behind.

17' Gary Brazil will be very pleased with the start his side have made here, as they've kept Arsenal quelled so far. There is still signs of Premier League quality from the visiting ranks though.

15' Brereton, leading the Forest line on his own, is keeping Mertesacker on his toes. He does lack pace but he makes up for it in experience so he's still difficult to get the better of.

13' WIDE! Arsenal attack with a slick passing move, which ends with Walcott whipping a central ball to Welbeck's head. He doesn't connect with the ball properly though and it bounces wide of the mark.

11' Forest certainly have the capacity to cause Arsenal problems today and they're showing that already. The Gunners are electing to play the ball out of the back when they can, which encourages further pressure from the hosts.

9' Arsenal's defence, interestingly, doesn't seem to be a back three as the team sheet suggests. Debuchy looks to be in his more natural position on the right side with Maitland-Niles on the opposite flank. The midfield set-up therefore looks to be a flat five, with Welbeck leading the line.

7' CHANCE! Well, it's certainly an open game. Walcott has Arsenal's first sight of goal as he's fed into the box but the experienced England international fails to connect properly with his shot and it's a comfortable save by Smith.

6' SAVE! An impressive start for Forest, who have the games first actual opening. It's Brereton again as Arsenal concede possession, with the youngster beating Mertesacker to the ball but seeing a tame effort collected by Ospina.

4' Nottingham Forest have the first chance of the game as Brereton breaks through and lofts the ball over Ospina. The offside flag is raised though and he also puts his effort wide of the target.

3' No surprises as to how this game has started as Arsenal dominate possession. However, Nottingham Forest are keen to put the Gunners under pressure when they do have the ball.

1' KICK-OFF! We're underway at the City Ground and it's defending champions Arsenal that get us started, kicking to the left.

It's not surprising to see Arsenal make wholesale changes to their side following a 2-2 draw with Chelsea and only two of that side remain in the line up here; Chambers and Maitland-Niles. Walcott and Welbeck, who came off the bench in that game, start from the off and Chambers, the only other member of today's squad that featured against the Blues, drops to the bench.

Caretaker Forest boss Gary Brazil makes two changes to a side that was held to a goalless draw by Leeds United last time out, with Clough and Vaughan coming into the team. Mckay therefore drops to the bench, whilst Liam Bridcutt doesn't make the squad.

Arsenal subs: Matt Macey, Eddie Nketiah, Jeff Reine-Adelaide, Jordi Osei-Tutu, Calum Chambers, Chuba Akpom, Josh Da Silva.

Nottingham Forest subs: Stephen Henderson, Matt Mills, Apostolos Vellios, Jason Cummings, Tyler Walker, Barrie McKay, Andreas Bouchalakis.

Arsenal XI: David Ospina; Mathieu Debuchy, Per Mertesacker, Rob Holding; Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, Mohamed Elneny, Ainsley Maitland-Niles; Theo Walcott, Alex Iwobi; Danny Welbeck.

Nottingham Forest XI: Jordan Smith; Eric Lichaj, Joe Worrall, Michael Mancienne, Armand Traore; Ben Osborn, David Vaughan; Ben Brereton, Kieran Dowell, Matthew Cash; Zach Clough.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are stable under Arsene Wenger but have also struggled in the past six weeks. Just two wins from eight has left the Gunners adrift in the race for Champions League football and the Premier League giants are under a lot of pressure. With three FA Cup wins in the past four seasons though, the North London side have become specialists in this competition.

It's all change at Forest after a run of just one victory in the past eight matches, which led to the sacking of Mark Warburton ahead of the New Year. They remain without a permanent manager here but it's a chance to boost their form and their standing in today's clash with the defending FA Cup champions.

Good afternoon and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the FA Cup third round clash between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal at the City Ground, where two sides in completely different situations go toe-to-toe.

Nottingham Forest v Arsenal Live Commentary, 08/01/2018

Key Events

Match Stats

Commentary