Arsenal to play Nottingham Forest in all-white kit as part of knife crime initiative with Adidas

When Nottingham Forest host Arsenal this weekend, Arsenal will play in an all-white kit for the first time, to raise awareness about knife crime and youth violence.

It’s part of the ‘No More Red’ launch and an anti-knife crime initiative with Adidas.

The kit is not commercially available, and will only be offered to people who are found to be making a positive difference within their respective communities.

The collaboration with Adidas will help to build on the work that Arsenal have done in the community, by providing brand new investment for youngsters to have safe spaces to play football.

Mentorship opportunities will see young, local leaders, helped out by names such as Idris Elba and Ian Wright.

There were more than 10,000 knife crime offences in London between June 2020 and June 2021, and it was revealed that in 2021, the number of teenagers killed in London in a single year reached its highest level since the Second World War.

Elba, an actor, will work alongside club legend Wright as a ‘No More Red’ mentor, said, exclusively with Sky Sports News: “The idea that Arsenal are going to come out in an all-white kit and say ‘No More Red’ will hopefully make people think ‘Hang on, what’s going on here?’ - then look further and try and find out more.

“I hope it makes an impact that ripples into other football clubs and inspires other collaboration ideas, and investment in practical things to help young people, whether that’s football pitches, or youth centres like the one I went to in Forest Gate where I played sport and where I actually fell in love with film.

“We need to give young people, especially teenagers, another option and an alternative to knife crime and gangs. It’s about what we can offer them as an option.”

Arsenal legend Ian Wright said: “Every young person deserves the opportunity to express themselves.

“The opportunity to exist within a safe environment. The opportunity to live free from fear of violence.

“We can never accept loss of life through youth violence as ‘normal’ in our city and it’s so important that we all work together to create a better environment for young people.

“By giving young people more places to play sport, more support, and access to individuals who can inspire them, together we can help make a difference to young people in London.”

Arsenal will look to build on their recent impressive form, and progress to the fourth round in a competition that they have gone the distance and won 14 times, a record in English football, with their last triumph coming in 2020 as they defeated Chelsea in front of an empty Wembley Stadium.