Arsenal secured a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, with Noni Madueke's heavily deflected effort in the 80th minute proving the matchwinner. It was the Gunners' only shot on target of the entire game, as Mikel Arteta's side extended their winning run despite a sluggish performance.
The champions failed to register their first effort on goal until the 80th minute, when Madueke's shot deflected off Jair Cunha and into the top corner, leaving Matz Sels with no chance. For the sixth consecutive game, Arsenal failed to score in the first half, a trend that had previously seen them win all those matches, but this time their sluggishness almost caught up with them.
Forest's defensive plan frustrates Arsenal
Arsenal kicked off knowing they had momentarily lost second place to Brighton, who had beaten Crystal Palace, and that only three points would keep them on the tail of Manchester City, who had won 1-0 against Ipswich Town on Saturday. Last year's fixture between these sides ended 0-0, a result Forest, with just one win in seven games and five league goals, would have accepted.
Oliver Glasner's plan left Liam Delap isolated up front, relying on counter-attacks, allowing Arsenal to dominate possession. Despite having more than three-quarters of the ball, the Gunners struggled to create openings in open play and delivered poorly from set pieces. The first half ended goalless, with neither team registering a shot on target for only the second time this season.
Arteta's changes spark late winner
Speaking at half-time on Sky Sports, Roy Keane urged Arteta to be proactive, saying: "The 0-0 and no shots on target won't bother the Forest manager. Arteta will be frustrated. Arsenal are dominating possession, by far the better team. Arsenal will have to be patient to find that one chance. The Arsenal players need to take more risks. There's a balance; of course, be patient but take more risks."
Arteta responded by replacing Eberechi Eze with Madueke at the break. After the hour mark, he made a triple change, bringing on Jurrien Timber, Mikel Merino and Viktor Gyokeres for Ben White, Bruno Guimaraes and Kai Havertz. Timber linked up with Bukayo Saka to create Arsenal's best chance of the first 70 minutes, but Declan Rice spooned the cutback over the bar.
The goal finally came in the 80th minute when Madueke found space in the box and sent a hopeful effort goalwards, with Cunha's touch leaving Sels helpless. Arsenal then survived late scares, as Murillo's run past three defenders narrowly missed the top corner, and Ezri Konsa's last-ditch tackle denied Liam Delap to secure all three points.
