ARSENAL return to Premier League action this weekend with a must-win match against Nottingham Forest in front of an expectant Emirates crowd.

The Gunners haven’t registered a single victory yet this November, and have won just one of their last five league games – a run of results that has left them nine points behind leaders Liverpool.

If they are going to mount a serious title challenge this season, then there is no more room for excuses, letting leads slip, red cards or limp and lacklustre attacking.

Even Mikel Arteta admitted before the international break that his side must now “win, win, and win” if Arsenal are going to catch up with the frontrunners.

Of course, it wouldn’t have been an international break without an injury scare – this time coming when Leandro Trossard was forced off in the first half of Belgium’s 1-0 defeat to Israel in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday.

It appears, however, that the winger only suffered a slight knock and will be available to face Forest.

In fact, the latest international break might actually have helped Arsenal, with the early team news predicting a string of first-teamers have recovered from knocks and niggles in time for Saturday, including Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori.

Martin Odegaard will also be that much fresher and fitter after the Arsenal skipper withdrew from the Norway squad to stay in London and continue his recovery following an ankle injury.

Gunners goalie David Raya recently revealed that having Odegaard back after a two-month absence has given the whole team a boost.

He said: “We know how important Martin is for us, not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well. He drives us, he gives us that extra edge; of course, he’s the club captain as well. He shows on the pitch the quality he has and what he gives to the team, so we’re really happy to have him back.”

Seeing certain players get off the Arsenal team bus doesn’t mean they’re fit and ready to play, though. In a moment of oversharing that might not have gone down well behind the scene, Oleksandr Zinchenko disclosed some of Arteta’s bizarre mind games.

Writing in his autobiography, Believe, the 27-year-old said: “He loves to play games with the opposition. I’ve seen him tell injured players to come on the team bus and walk into the dressing room with their washbag to put the other manager off the scent.”