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Forest v Arsenal team news: Saka benched again

17 January 2026 600 comments
Skonto Rigga Skonto Rigga
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Buoyed by Manchester City’s defeat in the early kick-off, Arsenal will be hoping to go nine points clear at the top of the Premier League this evening.

Their match at Nottingham Forest kicks off at 17:30 GMT.

TEAM NEWS

It became apparent in December that Mikel Arteta is averse to starting Bukayo Saka three times in a week. Now, even successive games seem to be beyond him.

Despite a rest against Portsmouth last weekend, and despite the upcoming UEFA Champions League game against Inter effectively being a dead rubber for the Gunners, Saka finds himself on the bench again this evening.

So too does Leandro Trossard, with Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli coming in.

The other change from Wednesday’s EFL Cup semi-final first leg is the return of David Raya at the expense of cup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

There’s still no Piero Hincapie in the Gunners’ squad. Cristhian Mosquera – ruled out for “weeks” by Arteta only on Tuesday – does make the bench, however.

Gabriel Magalhaes starts for the fourth time in 10 days.

Having savaged his second string after their performance in the FA Cup against Wrexham, Sean Dyche unsurprisingly goes back to his regulars this evening.

There’s just one change from Gameweek 21, with Ibrahima Sangare coming in for Omari Hutchinson.

LINE-UPS

Nottingham Forest XI: Sels, Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams, Sangare, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Dominguez, Hudson-Odoi, Igor Jesus.

Subs: Gunn, Morato, Awoniyi, Luiz, Ndoye, Hutchinson, Yates, McAtee, Savona.

Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Martinelli, Madueke, Gyokeres.

Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, Saka, Jesus, Eze, Trossard, Merino, Havertz, Lewis-Skelly.

LIVE GAMEWEEK PAGE!

New to Fantasy Football Scout this season is the Live Gameweek page, which you can see on the side menu.

Here you can follow the scores, watch the defensive contribution (DefCon) points roll in, see who the leading players are for xG and more as the games play out, as seen below:

Saka benched again
price change predictions
600 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. jonnybhoy
    • 13 Years
    10 hours, 38 mins ago

    Stay on that bench saka

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  2. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    10 hours, 38 mins ago

    Time for WC ...

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    1. Philosopher's Stones
      • 5 Years
      10 hours, 23 mins ago

      Finding it hard to hold one more GW.

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  3. Kaneyonero
    • 9 Years
    10 hours, 37 mins ago

    Saka to Palmer for sure

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    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 11 Years
      10 hours, 37 mins ago

      Maybe hold one more week ?

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  4. Ajax Hamsterdam
    • 11 Years
    10 hours, 37 mins ago

    In disbelief now bad this GW/season going....

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  5. FPL Virgin
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    10 hours, 36 mins ago

    Wildcard active. I'm pretending that it's gameweek 24.

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    1. Philosopher's Stones
      • 5 Years
      10 hours, 24 mins ago

      Same, virgin. Same.

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      1. FPL Virgin
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        10 hours, 21 mins ago

        My team can no longer limp on.

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  6. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    10 hours, 33 mins ago

    Damn... unfortunately this will probably make people sell Saka instead of keeping a shite pick

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    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 11 Years
      10 hours, 32 mins ago

      He LL start v utd surely ?

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  7. NABIL - FPL otai
    • 13 Years
    10 hours, 33 mins ago

    WC this team?

    Roefs Dub
    Gabriel Timber Collins Mukiele O'Reilly
    Foden Rice Rogers Szobo LeFee
    Haaland Ekitike Thiago

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    1. Bleh
      • 9 Years
      10 hours, 31 mins ago

      Why?

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      1. NABIL - FPL otai
        • 13 Years
        10 hours, 29 mins ago

        O'Reilly Foden Szobo Ekitike

        Get some Chelsea and Bruno F

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        1. Bleh
          • 9 Years
          10 hours, 7 mins ago

          I agree some of those need to go but wouldn’t rush in Chelsea until we have more info and Bruno has a really tough fixture next.

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    2. Scapegoat Salah
      • 9 Years
      10 hours, 30 mins ago

      I’d WC to that team in all honesty, random points scorers this week, yours 100% do better over the course of the season

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      1. NABIL - FPL otai
        • 13 Years
        10 hours, 27 mins ago

        Thanks man.. but that's what I get all the time. Great team, solid team.

        Points have been very random. Stuck at 60-100k OR week after week.

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        1. Brosstan
          • 11 Years
          10 hours, 23 mins ago

          To get above that OR you need random donkey luck scores every other gw. You can't play well and expect to place higher than you already are.

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          1. NABIL - FPL otai
            • 13 Years
            10 hours, 19 mins ago

            My lucky donkey pick like Giroud and Wood have gone missing.

            This week I changed captaincy from Rogers to Haaland last minute due to fear of EO. Never learn my lesson

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    3. Admiral Benson
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      10 hours, 22 mins ago

      No chance that needs a WC.

      Switch Liverpool time wasters to Mane and Palmer and you’re set for next 4 weeks.

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      1. NABIL - FPL otai
        • 13 Years
        10 hours, 18 mins ago

        Nice idea. Thanks for it!

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  8. Bleh
    • 9 Years
    10 hours, 31 mins ago

    Looking like a low scoring week…

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    1. Scapegoat Salah
      • 9 Years
      10 hours, 30 mins ago

      High scoring bench week lol

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      1. Bleh
        • 9 Years
        10 hours, 27 mins ago

        Ha who you got? I finally got my bench choices right I can’t believe it.

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        1. Scapegoat Salah
          • 9 Years
          10 hours, 26 mins ago

          Dorgu, Gundmundsson and Dubravka

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          1. Scapegoat Salah
            • 9 Years
            10 hours, 26 mins ago

            Roefs starting who has forgot where his hands are since I bought him

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          2. Bleh
            • 9 Years
            10 hours, 1 min ago

            Ah that’s horrible, feel for you

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  9. tucaoneo
    • 7 Years
    10 hours, 31 mins ago

    12 from 6 (including C) any good?

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    1. Bleh
      • 9 Years
      10 hours, 29 mins ago

      Awesome, well done!

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    2. g40steve
      • 7 Years
      10 hours, 28 mins ago

      28 from 7 inc C only Palmer & Chalobah turned up

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    3. Philosopher's Stones
      • 5 Years
      10 hours, 24 mins ago

      12 from 7 here.

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  10. g40steve
    • 7 Years
    10 hours, 30 mins ago

    Did Palmer just get DC’s 😉

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  11. Malkmus
    • 14 Years
    10 hours, 29 mins ago

    Congrats to palmer cappers, was my original plan but bottled it with Haaland v Man Utd factor.

    Plus my thoughts on Dorgu were vindicated!

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  12. Sandy Ravage
    • 9 Years
    10 hours, 29 mins ago

    For GW24:
    Saka (lee) + Cherki (tot) > B.Fernandes (FUL) + Enzo (WHM)

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    1. NABIL - FPL otai
      • 13 Years
      10 hours, 26 mins ago

      You have my blessing

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  13. v3n0m
    • 4 Years
    10 hours, 27 mins ago

    5FT:
    Raya + Gordon -> Sanchez + Bruno?

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    1. Sailboats
      • 10 Years
      10 hours, 25 mins ago

      Yea

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  14. FPL Virgin
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    10 hours, 26 mins ago

    0.05 non penalty xGI for Palmer today.

    0.07 for Enzo.

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    1. Tomerick
      • 11 Years
      10 hours, 26 mins ago

      So what you’re saying is get both of them?

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  15. Tomerick
    • 11 Years
    10 hours, 26 mins ago

    Feeling pretty stupid that I captained Wirtz. I should have given Sanchez the armband!

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    1. Bleh
      • 9 Years
      10 hours, 22 mins ago

      Better than captain robot!

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  16. Philosopher's Stones
    • 5 Years
    10 hours, 25 mins ago

    12 points with Saka, Timber, Rogers and Verbruggen to go. 26 on the bench with Minteh to go.

    Safe to say this has been the worst GW of the season so far. Almost lost for words even.

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    1. Shaw must go on
      • 13 Years
      10 hours, 21 mins ago

      11 pts from 7 players..
      24 points on my bench

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      1. g40steve
        • 7 Years
        10 hours, 19 mins ago

        Decent BB mate

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    2. g40steve
      • 7 Years
      10 hours, 20 mins ago

      That’s just luck of this game

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    3. FPL Virgin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      10 hours, 20 mins ago

      Time to invest in a scout membership?

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      1. g40steve
        • 7 Years
        10 hours, 18 mins ago

        Nah, doing better without all the feeds, G Whizz CS odds all I need

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  17. Bleh
    • 9 Years
    10 hours, 23 mins ago

    Who would you bench out of these lot?
    Haaland is the other one.

    A. Foden - WOL (H)
    B. Wilson - BHA (H)
    C. Rice - MUN (H)
    D. Rogers - NEW (A)
    E. Bruno G - AVL (H)
    F. Thiago - NFO (H)
    G. Ekitike - BOU (A)

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    1. Sandy Ravage
      • 9 Years
      10 hours, 18 mins ago

      D

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    2. Snoop Udogie Dogg
      • 5 Years
      10 hours, 17 mins ago

      D

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    3. NABIL - FPL otai
      • 13 Years
      10 hours, 17 mins ago

      B

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  18. denial
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 16 Years
    10 hours, 23 mins ago

    Really should have just done the Saka to Rice switch.

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  19. Ignasi M
    • 8 Years
    10 hours, 22 mins ago

    Okay. Lost patience with Saka. I'll bring Palmer in next game week.

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    1. Flynny
      • 10 Years
      10 hours, 20 mins ago

      Looking at bruno

      But may keep saka 1 more week as hr will start v united

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      1. Ignasi M
        • 8 Years
        10 hours, 13 mins ago

        Yeah, I'll do it next game week. Hmmm yeah maybe I'll bring in Bruno instead.

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  20. money face bandwagon
    • 12 Years
    10 hours, 22 mins ago

    Wc activated. Had enough

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    1. FPL Virgin
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      10 hours, 19 mins ago

      Ditto. Time to clear out the shite.

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    2. gibson1314
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      10 hours, 18 mins ago

      I did it last week in a rage, trust me it doesn't help.

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  21. F4L
    • 11 Years
    10 hours, 20 mins ago

    i dont get how sanchez has 6 saves with brentford 5 shots on target. the other week donnarumma made a late save from an enzo shot that was going just wide and he didnt get a 3rd save for that

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    1. Bleh
      • 9 Years
      10 hours, 18 mins ago

      I need the points pls

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      1. F4L
        • 11 Years
        10 hours, 17 mins ago

        sorry not trying to take away from sanchez but i dont see the consistency

        i think it is harsh saves dont count when the shot was going just off target maybe. unless its a save from a potential OG? idk, didnt see the match

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        1. Bleh
          • 9 Years
          10 hours, 15 mins ago

          Nah I’m joking, I didn’t see the match either. Seems really odd tbf.

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    2. Brosstan
      • 11 Years
      10 hours, 17 mins ago

      If its going wide it doesn't count as a save

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    3. dennis the menace
      • 14 Years
      10 hours ago

      Can it be a save from a corner or cross that wasn’t going on target?

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  22. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    10 hours, 19 mins ago

    Need Rogers benched to have the slightest chance of a green (Chalobah bench #1). Season over

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  23. Vasshin
    • 7 Years
    10 hours, 19 mins ago

    Foden to Bruno… now or wait gw against arsenal

    Have four city players(oreilly, semenyo, foden, haaland)

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    1. Bleh
      • 9 Years
      10 hours, 17 mins ago

      O Reilly would be first on the chopping block for me. Danger of Foden turning up against Wolves is not one I’m willing to risk. Bruno away at Arsenal is the toughest fixture out there.

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  24. thegaffer82
    • 14 Years
    10 hours, 17 mins ago

    Good to see I’m not the only one having a stinker.
    The problem with FPL is that, for my team at least, it takes weeks and weeks to grind up the rankings. Bit by bit, step by step until you’ve made any decent headway.
    The one bad week and you are back to where you were weeks before. Then one more bad week and your miles worse off than you were…

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    1. Bushwhacker
      • 6 Years
      10 hours, 6 mins ago

      Well its luck .. and then templates which makes luck good and bad effect mostly everyone the same

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  25. The-Red-1
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    10 hours, 16 mins ago

    Held my nerve and captained Gabriel. Come on lad

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  26. Mr. O'Connell
    • 13 Years
    10 hours, 16 mins ago

    Saka masterclass desperately needed here

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    1. NABIL - FPL otai
      • 13 Years
      10 hours, 12 mins ago

      You play Le Fee?

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      1. Mr. O'Connell
        • 13 Years
        10 hours, 11 mins ago

        Yeah. Le Fee plus 7 blankers. Feels good.

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        1. NABIL - FPL otai
          • 13 Years
          10 hours, 8 mins ago

          Great work

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  27. F4L
    • 11 Years
    10 hours, 16 mins ago

    (R)ice please a repeat of bournemouth performance 🙂

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  28. Doozer2008
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 1 Year
    10 hours, 15 mins ago

    I’m awful at this game.

    8 points with 6 players played.

    Think I’ll have a break next season. This season has not been enjoyable

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    1. Bushwhacker
      • 6 Years
      10 hours, 7 mins ago

      Its a game of luck. Don’t be hard on yourself

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  29. Brosstan
    • 11 Years
    10 hours, 15 mins ago

    Players are so underpriced this season. I have O Reilly who should be a priority sell but this season I can just place him last on the bench and move on with absolutely 0 issues

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  30. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    10 hours, 11 mins ago

    Glasner looking for a few weeks /months in the sun?

    Before his next challenge...

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    1. F4L
      • 11 Years
      10 hours, 10 mins ago

      i think he will win the ecl, and not care too much for the league

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