Madueke's Late Strike Seals Narrow Win for Arsenal Against Forest
Before the match kicked off, the buzz was all about scoring—or lack thereof. Nottingham Forest had yet to find the back of the net at home under Oliver Glasner, a stat that surely made for a tense atmosphere at the City Ground. Arsenal, on the other hand, had drawn blanks in their last two visits to this East Midlands venue.
Forest's woes under their new manager persist. They showcased determination and spirit, particularly with Liam Delap leading the charge as the striker. But for the fifth time since Glasner took over, the home fans were left disappointed when the final whistle blew without a goal to celebrate.
As the match wore on, the chants from the away section felt inevitable: one-nil to the Ars-en-nal. Arsenal didn’t dazzle by any means, managing just a single shot on target, but Noni Madueke made that shot count.
Coming on as a substitute at halftime, the winger received a pass from Declan Rice in the 80th minute and had only one intention—cutting inside from the left and firing a shot. His effort took a crucial deflection off Jair Cunha and sailed past Forest's goalkeeper, Matz Sels, marking a significant moment for Madueke after a challenging start to the season.
Forest refused to roll over. Chris Wood, brought on as a substitute, hesitated too long and had his shot blocked by Rice. Murillo danced into the box only to see his curled effort miss the target, while Delap was ultimately thwarted by a stunning block from Ezri Konsa. Yet, the sense of inevitability lingered; Arsenal were keen to shake off their previous away defeat to Brighton, which remains a blemish on their season.
Starting the day six points adrift of Manchester City, who have been flawless in the league, Arsenal had their eyes on the prize. The atmosphere brightened a bit when the teamsheet revealed that Morgan Gibbs-White would miss the match due to a calf injury, a significant blow for Forest's attacking hopes.
Glasner had emphasized the importance of improving their shooting this week, given their last outing against Crystal Palace, where they squandered eight big chances in a 3-1 loss. However, opportunities against Arsenal were going to be hard to come by.
Arsenal dominated possession, with Bruno Guimarães looking to link up with Martin Ødegaard and Rice anchoring the midfield. But the first half was largely uneventful, lacking in creativity and urgency. Forest's disciplined 5-4-1 shape made it challenging for the visitors to break through, effectively keeping the game dull.
As Arsenal worked to frustrate the home crowd, the first 45 minutes passed without a single shot on target from either side. Delap was a notable presence, winning a free-kick just outside the box after a tussle with Rice, but Nico Williams’ effort from the set-piece was deflected.
With a breakthrough seeming more likely from a set-piece, Murillo headed wide from a corner, and at the other end, Kai Havertz failed to capitalize on a decent chance. Arsenal had struggled to score in first halves this season, and this match was no different.
Arteta's first change saw Madueke replace Eberechi Eze, a clear sign that the latter hadn’t made an impact. A triple substitution followed, with Jurrien Timber, Mikel Merino, and Viktor Gyökeres joining the fray to inject some life into the Arsenal attack. Forest, however, came out strong after the break, with Delap continuing to challenge the Arsenal defense.
As the clock ticked down, both teams seemed to be waiting for that elusive moment of magic. Ødegaard nearly delivered it with a brilliant pass to Timber, but Rice’s follow-up was disappointingly high.
Glasner's decision to bring on Ibrahim Sangaré to strengthen the midfield was telling, but the moment he was slow to react to a loose ball led to Madueke’s decisive intervention. As the game reached its climax, Arsenal’s perseverance finally paid off.
