Madueke fires Arsenal past Nottingham Forest as Gunners grind out 1-0 win at City Ground
Madueke's deflected strike settles dull contest
Noni Madueke broke the deadlock at the City Ground late on, as Arsenal edged a flat and cagey Premier League game 1-0 against Nottingham Forest. The winger, who replaced Eberechi Eze at half-time, cut in from the left in the 80th minute and his shot deflected off Jair Cunha and beyond goalkeeper Matz Sels.
The pass came from Declan Rice, and the connection was clean. For Madueke, it was a moment he had worked towards after a difficult start to the season. Opta data shows he has now scored 13 of his 17 Premier League goals away from home, including all four of Arsenal's away goals this season, the highest away ratio of any player with 15 or more Premier League goals in the competition's history.
A quiet first half
The game was short on quality. Arsenal managed only one shot on target across the match, and neither side registered a shot on target before the interval. Kai Havertz headed over from a Rice free-kick in the 37th minute, while Murillo headed wide from a corner for Forest. Arsenal were criticised for their slow build-up, and the first half drifted along without much incision.
Forest push late but cannot find an equaliser
Forest, who were missing the injured Morgan Gibbs-White, came out with more intent after the break. Liam Delap was a constant physical threat, and Gabriel Magalhães headed over from a corner. Rice also blazed over from inside the Forest box. Oliver Glasner's side pressed late on, with Chris Wood seeing a shot blocked by Rice and Murillo firing just over in a late run. Ezri Konsa then made a crucial recovery tackle on Delap in injury time, sealing the win.
Forest's home struggles deepen
The result leaves Forest in the relegation zone with five points from seven games. They have now failed to score in any of their first four home league matches this season, the fifth side in English top-flight history to do so. Forest have also won just one of their last 15 Premier League games at the City Ground. For Arsenal, it was a familiar 1-0 scoreline: since Mikel Arteta took charge in December 2019, they have recorded 32 Premier League 1-0 wins, the joint-most of any club alongside Everton.
Arsenal's patience pays off
Arsenal had been six points behind Manchester City at kick-off, and the result keeps them in touch at the top while the reigning champions continue to deal with the sanctions question surrounding City. For Arsenal it was far from a classic, but the win showed the value of patience when the chances are scarce.