Madueke off the bench to seal late Arsenal win at Forest
Noni Madueke's deflected late goal gave Arsenal a narrow victory at Nottingham Forest in a match where Eberechi Eze and Kai Havertz passed up their chances to impress.
Noni Madueke came off the bench at half-time and broke the deadlock with a deflected effort with about 10 minutes remaining as Arsenal squeezed past Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. The substitute's shot clipped Forest defender Jair Cunha on its way in, ending a game the visitors had dominated in possession without creating clear chances.
Eberechi Eze was handed a big opportunity to make the left wing his own but did not take it and was withdrawn at the interval, with Madueke replacing him. Kai Havertz also struggled to offer much going forward and was taken off, while Bruno Guimaraes had an uncharacteristically difficult day in midfield before making way for Mikel Merino. Declan Rice, rated among Arsenal's best performers, missed a big chance of his own but supplied the pass for Madueke's winner.
Forest, missing the injured Morgan Gibbs-White, looked on course for a positive point for long spells. James McAtee worked hard but could not find the creative spark, Dan Ndoye shot wide early and Liam Delap troubled Ezri Konsa and Gabriel physically without getting close to a goal. Ezri Konsa's brilliant injury-time tackle on Delap preserved the clean sheet.
The hosts' resistance was finally broken late on, and substitute Ibrahim Sangare was stopped at the crucial moment to allow Arsenal to regroup and score. Murillo, who needed treatment for a head blow in the first half, almost grabbed an injury-time leveller after some great skill.
The ratings reflect a scrappy contest: Konsa and Rice were among Arsenal's highest at 7, alongside match-winner Madueke, while Eze and Havertz were given 5. Every Forest starter was rated 6, with Sangare the lowest at 5.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
