Nottingham Forest 0-1 Arsenal: Madueke turns one shot on target into three title-race points

Arsenal left the City Ground yesterday with exactly the kind of win that travels well in a title race: narrow, controlled for long periods, uncomfortable late, and settled by a substitute. Noni Madueke came on for Eberechi Eze in the 45th minute, was booked in the 53rd minute, then scored in the 80th minute from Declan Rice’s assist to give Mikel Arteta’s side a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

Here we go: one shot on target, one goal, three points. That was the package for Arsenal.

For S. Dyche, this was another hard result to take. Forest had 14 shots to Arsenal’s 9, won 8 corners, and produced enough pressure to make the final spell awkward. But they did not score. Again. Forest remain 18th on 5 points, with no home win and no home league goal after four matches at the City Ground this season.

Arsenal stay second, now on 18 points from 7 games, three behind Manchester City. The table does not care that this was not fluent. It cares that Arsenal found the late action.

The decisive moment

The match turned in the 80th minute.

Declan Rice, Arsenal’s best and most reliable player on the day, supplied the assist. Noni Madueke scored. No extra dressing needed. Arsenal’s only shot on target became the winning goal.

Madueke’s impact mattered because Arsenal had spent much of the afternoon with control but not penetration. Arteta’s side had 74% possession and completed 569 accurate passes, yet Matz Sels did not have a save to make before the goal. Forest’s 3-4-2-1 kept the middle crowded, forced Arsenal sideways, and made the visitors work through traffic.

Madueke changed the rhythm. His introduction in the 45th minute gave Arsenal a more direct runner in the front line. Even after his yellow card in the 53rd minute, he stayed in the contest, kept occupying defenders, and finally supplied the moment Arsenal had been missing.

Rice was the other decisive figure. His numbers tell the story: 99 passes, 93 accurate, 3 key passes, and the assist. In a game where Arsenal’s dominance risked becoming sterile, Rice gave them continuity, patience, and then the final pass.

Lineups and shapes

S. Dyche set Nottingham Forest up in a 3-4-2-1: Matz Sels in goal; Jair, Ousmane Diomande and Murillo across the back three; Daniel Muñoz, James McAtee, Xaver Schlager and Neco Williams in midfield; Nicolás Domínguez and Dan Ndoye behind Liam Delap.

Mikel Arteta used Arsenal’s 4-2-3-1: David Raya in goal; Ben White, Ezri Konsa, Gabriel Magalhães and Riccardo Calafiori in defence; Declan Rice and Bruno Guimarães as the double pivot; Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard and Eberechi Eze behind Kai Havertz.

The contrast was clear. Forest wanted compactness, duels, set-piece volume and quick breaks into Delap. Arsenal wanted possession, territorial pressure and control through Rice, Bruno Guimarães and Ødegaard.

For long spells, both plans worked, but only one side had the finish.

Forest’s plan worked, until the finish was missing

Forest were not passive. They had 26% possession, but that was not the whole game. Their 14 shots, 8 from inside the box, showed they got into enough areas to hurt Arsenal. Liam Delap had 4 shots, 1 on target, and fought through 16 duels. Murillo was excellent, finishing with 3 shots, 1 on target, 2 key passes and a strong defensive contribution.

Xaver Schlager gave Dyche what he would have wanted in midfield: 7 tackles, 9 duels won from 16, and enough bite to stop Arsenal moving cleanly through central areas. Neco Williams was booked in the 17th minute for a foul, but he still stayed heavily involved, winning 7 of 13 duels.

The problem was the same old one: Forest could not turn pressure into a goal. They had 0.94 expected goals, 2 shots on target, and 8 corners. Against a side as controlled as Arsenal, that is a dangerous waste.

Dyche made his attacking moves late. Arnaud Kalimuendo replaced Dan Ndoye in the 73rd minute. Ibrahim Sangaré came on for Nicolás Domínguez in the 74th minute. Then Chris Wood replaced Jair Cunha and Callum Hudson-Odoi came on for James McAtee in the 85th minute. By then, Forest were chasing a game that had slipped away five minutes earlier.

Arteta’s bench won it

Arteta’s changes were clear and aggressive.

Madueke replaced Eze in the 45th minute. Then, in the 66th minute, Arsenal made three more changes: Jurriën Timber for Ben White, Viktor Gyökeres for Kai Havertz, and Mikel Merino for Bruno Guimarães.

That reshaped the final third of the match. Timber added fresh legs at full-back. Gyökeres gave Forest’s centre-backs another type of forward to manage. Merino helped Arsenal keep control when Forest were trying to build momentum.

But the key call was Madueke. He gave Arsenal the winning goal, and in a match this tight, that is the whole deal.

Match statistics

Cards and substitutions

Neco Williams was booked in the 17th minute for Nottingham Forest.

Noni Madueke was booked in the 53rd minute for Arsenal.

Arsenal’s substitutions: Madueke for Eberechi Eze in the 45th minute; Jurriën Timber for Ben White, Viktor Gyökeres for Kai Havertz, and Mikel Merino for Bruno Guimarães, all in the 66th minute.

Nottingham Forest’s substitutions: Arnaud Kalimuendo for Dan Ndoye in the 73rd minute; Ibrahim Sangaré for Nicolás Domínguez in the 74th minute; Chris Wood for Jair Cunha and Callum Hudson-Odoi for James McAtee, both in the 85th minute.

What it means

Arsenal move on with 18 points from 7 games, 6 wins and 1 defeat, still chasing Manchester City at the top. This was not a performance to frame, but it was one to file under serious contender behaviour. Win away, keep a clean sheet, trust the bench, move.

Forest remain in the relegation zone, 18th with 5 points. Their defensive work was disciplined, Murillo stood out, Delap kept Arsenal occupied, and the shot count was encouraging. But the table is blunt: 5 goals scored in 7 league games, and still none at home.

For more Premier League fallout from the weekend, read Manzambi Strike Seals Classic Emery Away Win as Villa Edge Newcastle and Isak Seals Liverpool Comeback as Nine-Man Brentford Collapse.