Madueke strikes late as Arsenal edge Forest 1-0
Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground on 18 October, and left it very late to do it. Noni Madueke scored the only goal in the 80th minute to settle a tight Premier League afternoon. The Guardian
Madueke had only been on the pitch since half-time. He took a pass from Declan Rice, hit his shot early, and watched it deflect off Jair Cunha and past Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels. It was Arsenal's only shot on target all game. One moment. One lucky break. Three points.
The win mattered for the table. Arsenal kicked off six points behind Manchester City. Their only blot this season had been a 3-0 defeat at Brighton. This was a chance to stay in touch, not to slip further back.
Manager Mikel Arteta shuffled his pack for it. He made five changes, with Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard all coming back into the team. Arsenal.com Fresh legs helped. They did not make Arsenal fluent, but they kept them going until the breakthrough came.
Forest made life hard for them. Oliver Glasner’s side were organised and stubborn, even without Morgan Gibbs-White, who missed out with a calf injury. They had still to score at home under Glasner before this match. That run continued. Arsenal had drawn 0-0 on each of their previous two visits here, and for long spells a third stalemate looked likely.
Arsenal had arrived with confidence after Europe. They beat Lille 3-0 a few days earlier, scoring three goals in seven second-half minutes. Arsenal.com The plan had always been to return to league action on Sunday afternoon at Forest. The performance was very different, slower and scrappier, but the result kept the momentum alive.
What makes this stand out is how little Arsenal needed. They did not dominate. They did not create wave after wave. They waited, stayed patient, and took the one opening that fell their way through a substitute.
For fans, this is the kind of win that builds a season. No style points. Just a late goal, a clean sheet, and a long trip home feeling a little lighter.
