Arsenal looked set to leave Nottingham Forest with dropped points after struggling to find a breakthrough, but former Chelsea winger Noni Madueke changed the outcome with a late goal that secured a crucial 1-0 victory for Mikel Arteta’s side.

The decisive moment arrived in the 80th minute, when Madueke found the net after coming on at half-time. According to The Guardian’s match report, Declan Rice supplied the pass before Madueke’s effort took a deflection off Jair Cunha and beat goalkeeper Matz Sels.

For Arsenal, the goal was a relief after a frustrating afternoon. Forest had made life difficult for the visitors, limiting their clear opportunities and forcing them to search patiently for an opening. The Guardian reported that Arsenal managed only one shot on target, underlining how difficult it had been for Arteta’s team to break through.

Madueke’s introduction proved decisive. Having started on the bench, the winger gave Arsenal the breakthrough they desperately needed when the match was approaching its final stages. His goal demonstrated how one contribution from a substitute can change the outcome of a tightly contested Premier League fixture.

The victory was also important for Arsenal’s position in the title race. According to Reuters’ Premier League coverage, Manchester City were leading the standings before Arsenal’s match. Arsenal’s win took them to 18 points from seven matches, leaving them three points behind City, who had 21.

Remaining second keeps Arsenal within reach of the leaders, but the performance also gives Arteta areas to examine. His side secured the result, yet the difficulty they experienced creating chances showed that winning away from home can demand patience as well as quality in the decisive moments.

For Madueke, the goal was an important contribution at a time when Arsenal needed someone to produce a breakthrough. He may not have started the match, but he ended it as the player whose intervention separated the two sides.

Arsenal will take the three points and continue chasing Manchester City at the top of the table. The result was not built on a flood of chances, but on one decisive moment from a substitute who made the difference when it mattered most.