BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson is expecting Arsenal to successfully negotiate a tricky tie when they face Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup tomorrow evening.

Forest have improved hugely since the appointment of Steve Cooper and, while Lawrenson believes the Championship side will put up a fight, he feels the Gunners’ excellent recent form, combined with manager Mikel Arteta fielding some first-team players, should allow them to get the job done:

“This will be a test for Arsenal but I’d like to think the Gunners will pick a strong team after having their Carabao Cup semi-final with Liverpool postponed, and there is a good vibe about them at the moment.”

Lawrenson predicts a 2-1 win for Arsenal, which is a pretty close scoreline, but Forest’s form in recent months, as well as the fact that they are at home, will likely make this a close contest.

Arteta will have to strike a balance in his team selection. The first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool is on Thursday, but he cannot afford to take too many players out of the side. As Lawrenson mentions, he may be wise to go with a strong starting lineup.