Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Madueke's late strike gives Arsenal 1–0 win at Nottingham Forest
The halftime substitute scored in the 80th minute with Arsenal's only shot on target, keeping the champions three points behind Manchester City.
Noni Madueke scored in the 80th minute as Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest 1–0 at the City Ground on October 18. The halftime substitute supplied Arsenal's only shot on target in a difficult away win.
The result kept the defending champions three points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City. Forest remained 18th with five points and still had neither a league win nor a league goal at home.
Forest asked the first questions
Forest created the clearer early chance when Dan Ndoye's driven effort forced David Raya to tip the ball around the post. Murillo also directed a header into Raya's arms after halftime.
Arsenal had possession but little penetration. Kai Havertz reached a Declan Rice free kick and later hit the side netting, yet the visitors went into halftime without a shot on target.
The halftime change became decisive
Mikel Arteta replaced Eberechi Eze with Madueke at halftime. Further second-half changes brought on Mikel Merino, Viktor Gyokeres and Jurrien Timber as Arsenal searched for a way through Forest's compact defence.
Gabriel headed over from a Rice corner and Rice sent a shot over from Timber's cutback. Those misses preserved the 0–0 score and made Madueke's later intervention decisive rather than part of sustained attacking control.
One shot on target settled the match
In the 80th minute, Madueke cut in from the left and struck through a crowded area. Reuters reported that the shot deflected off Jair Cunha and wrong-footed goalkeeper Matz Sels; Forest's own recap also identifies Madueke's strike as the difference.
Murillo almost equalised in stoppage time after carrying the ball past several players, but his shot went narrowly over. Arsenal protected the one-goal lead through the final whistle.
What the result changed
Arsenal remained three points behind Manchester City. A win built on one shot on target adds three points, but it does not by itself resolve the attacking problems evident for most of the match.
Forest stayed in the relegation zone in 18th with five points. The club's next league match is away to Ipswich Town on Friday, while the home record remains winless and scoreless after this defeat.
