Arsenal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, with Noni Madueke coming off the bench to deliver the decisive goal in a tense Premier League encounter. It was far from a straightforward afternoon for the Gunners, who had to dig deep to claim all three points away from home.

The first half offered little in the way of attacking excitement, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances. The opening 45 minutes ended without a single shot on target, as a scrappy midfield battle overshadowed the attacking quality expected from two ambitious teams.

The tempo improved after the break, with both Arsenal and Nottingham Forest showing greater attacking intent. However, poor decision-making and a lack of precision in the final third continued to frustrate both sides, leaving the contest finely balanced.

The decisive moment arrived in the 80th minute, following the introduction of Noni Madueke at half-time in place of Eberechi Eze. The Arsenal winger found space and fired towards the bottom-right corner, with a deflection helping the ball evade the Forest goalkeeper and find the back of the net.

Arsenal then had to withstand late pressure to protect their slender advantage. Murillo threatened with a dangerous run in stoppage time, but the Gunners held firm to secure a valuable away win.

2026-27, England - Premier League

Nottingham F. - Arsenal 0:1 (0:0)
Goals: Madueke, 80 (0:1)

Nottingham F.: Sels; Diomande O.; Williams N.; Murillo; Jair Cunha (Wood C., 85); Muñoz D.; Dominguez N. (Sangaré I., 74); Schlager X.; Ndoye D. (Kalimuendo, 73); Mcatee (Hudson-Odoi, 85); Delap
Substitution: Kalimuendo (from 73); Sangaré I. (from 74); Hudson-Odoi (from 85); Wood C. (from 85)
Bench: John Victor; Netz; Milenković; Aina; Yates
Yellow Cards: Williams N. 17

Arsenal: Raya; White B. (Timber J., 66); Gabriel M.; Konsa; Calafiori; Saka B.; Odegaard; Eze (Madueke, 46); Havertz (Gyökeres, 66); Bruno Guimarães (Merino, 66); Rice
Substitution: Madueke (from 46); Timber J. (from 66); Merino (from 66); Gyökeres (from 66)
Bench: Meslier; Mosquera Cr.; Lewis-Skelly; Zubimendi; Dowman M.
Yellow Cards: Madueke 53