Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal: FA Cup 2018 Preview, Live Stream, TV Info

Arsenal will face off against an out-of-form Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup at the City Ground on Sunday.

The Gunners, their 19 other Premier League peers and the 24 Championship clubs begin their FA Cup quests at this stage, and Arsene Wenger's men have been tasked with defeating lower-tier opposition in order to progress.

Forest are in a vulnerable position after failing to win any of their past five matches, not to mention the fact they haven't hit the back of the net in their past three outings.

Arsenal may be expected to line up with a second-string outfit given their mid-table Championship opponents, but with the Premier League crown out of sight and sitting five points off the top four, more emphasis on the cup contest may be required.

Read on for a preview of Sunday's showdown in Nottingham, complete with all the latest team news and live-stream information.

Date: Sunday, January 7

Time: 4 p.m. GMT/11 a.m. ET

Venue: The City Ground, Nottingham

Live Stream: BT Sport app (UK)

TV Info: BT Sport 2 (UK)

Team News

Arsenal's advantage as the top-flight team heading into this clash has been reduced by the club's injury list ahead of their trip to the City Ground.

Football reporter Paul Brown provided comments from Wenger before the Gunners' recent win at Crystal Palace, with the Frenchman suggesting the Forest trip will be too soon for Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud and Nacho Monreal.

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Of that trio, Monreal looks the most likely to have a chance of featuring in Nottingham, although it's unlikely his boss will take too many risks. That means Calum Chambers or Mathieu Debuchy could be drafted into defence.

Wenger spoke again prior to Wednesday's 2-2 draw against Chelsea, wherein Mesut Ozil featured despite his own problems. PhysioRoom.com offered an update on the Germany international before that game.

Forest goalkeeper Stephen Henderson has featured just once this term despite recovering from an Achilles injury. But Sunday's hosts have no new injury concerns.

Preview

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Although Nottingham Forest may feel they are facing one of the Premier League's big guns at the wrong point in their campaign, their fans will be aware it wasn't long ago when Norwich City took the Gunners to extra time in the Carabao Cup.

Despite their superiority, Arsenal, sixth in the top tier and 23 points behind high-flying leaders Manchester City, have shown faults this term. Forest's official Twitter account recently recalled a previous instance of beating the north Londoners in the FA Cup.

Arsenal have won three domestic games since the beginning of December, and all three of those wins came by a margin of just one goal. They drew their other five matches in that time.

The Christmas schedule is a demanding time for any team, and after watching his side settle for a point at home to Chelsea on Wednesday, Wenger showed signs of frustration, per James Olley of the Evening Standard.

Forest's attack is led by Daryl Murphy, who is by no means a stranger to Premier League-level opposition. The Republic of Ireland international will be sure to make a nuisance of himself as he looks to add to a club-high season tally of seven goals.

Following mixed starts to their seasons, both teams should be chasing the FA Cup as a happy distraction. Forest won't be liable to give up a fourth-round spot without a fight, whether they are managerless or not.