Arsenal avoided a third consecutive stalemate at the City Ground thanks to Noni Madueke’s deflected strike, as the champions eked out a 1–0 victory against a depleted Nottingham Forest.

This was a dire contest that, in truth, probably didn’t deserve a winner. Oliver Glasner’s side proved mightily tough to penetrate, and in the absence of Morgan Gibbs-White, it was always going to be a challenge for the hosts the bypass Arsenal’s formidable backline.

Forest produced spurts on the counterattack in the wake of dreary spells of Gunners possession, and were seemingly the more likely to steal an advantage after a bright start to the second half. However, Mikel Arteta’s side are familiar with such slogfests, and muscle memory kicked in late on.

Madueke’s driving run from the left produced a shot that nicked off two Forest defenders to beat the previously untested Matz Sels and hand Arsenal a lead they wouldn’t relinquish with 10 minutes to play. The hosts certainly crafted enough in the dying embers to earn an unlikely point, but Liam Delap and Chris Wood were denied by some outstanding recovery defending from the visitors.

And so the champions moved back above Brighton & Hove Albion and into second, three points behind the perfect Manchester City at the Premier League’s summit.

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

Slow starts have been a feature of Arsenal’s outings so far this season, and the Gunners once again toiled without much reward in the opening 45 minutes at the City Ground.

While Nottingham Forest have had a tough start to their campaign, Glasner-led sides are unyielding opponents. Here, Arsenal encountered a stubborn 5-4-1 defensive block that had little interest in surrendering space to the Gunners’ crafty midfield technicians and Bukayo Saka down the right.

And once again, they couldn’t get going early on. Excluding the Carabao Cup third-round win at Ipswich Town, Arsenal have failed to score in the first half of each of their previous six matches. Mere bursts have been enough for Mikel Arteta’s side since the 3–0 humbling at Brighton & Hove Albion, with supporters still concerned about the state of their forward line.

They remain an imperious defensive force and a team that’s ever so hard to play against from behind. However, the sluggishness that has defined their first halves this term, certainly after their opening-day victory over Coventry City, means it’s been a slog for the champions to achieve this game state.

So far this term, Arsenal have done enough to mask their summer oversight of not signing another left winger and that continued thanks to Madueke’s deflected strike. If they’re to achieve all they desire this term, there must be a push in the winter for a maverick in attack.

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1)

GK: David Raya—7.7: Arsenal’s No. 1 wasn’t forced into anything extraordinary, with the bulk of his saves routine. Still, Raya didn‘t put a foot wrong.

RB: Ben White—6.8: Arsenal almost exclusively attacked down the right flank in the first half, yet White was unable to offer a source of penetration on the overlap. Fluffed his lines when he did get the opportunity to deliver.

CB: Ezri Konsa—7.5: Liam Delap was a handful, offering plenty of gusto on the counterattack. Konsa coped with him well enough one-on-one, as he continued his impressive start to the season.

CB: Gabriel—7.9: Like his partner, Gabriel was called into action sporadically, and he maintained his focus throughout to deal with Forest’s threat in transition. There were a couple of exemplary defensive sequences.

LB: Riccardo Calafiori—6.9: Arsenal’s attack was again limp, and they couldn’t get their maverick defender in the game at all.

CM: Declan Rice—8.0: Improving as a passer from deep, accessing his captain between the lines on a couple of occasions. Spurned a big chance midway through the second half, but made a big defensive intervention late on.

CM: Bruno Guimarães—7.6: The Brazilian’s best work is yet to arrive from the outset in Arsenal colors. A difference-maker off the bench, but Guimarães is still struggling to put together a complete 90 minutes.

RW: Bukayo Saka—6.9: Arsenal were far too reliant on Saka in the opening 45 minutes, with the winger attracting plenty of attention from the Forest defense as a result.

AM: Martin Ødegaard—7.3: A concerted effort was made to contain Arsenal’s captain, with Ødegaard often having such little space to operate.

LW: Eberechi Eze—6.0: After scoring in the week, Eze was close to being anonymous at the City Ground. His halftime withdrawal told the story, with the England international barely offering a threat and struggling to combine with Calafiori.

ST: Kai Havertz—6.7: Havertz sauntered through an hour of Sunday’s contest without contributing much of note. While Arsenal are a better team without the ball when he‘s on the field, Havertz produces performances bereft of life a little too often.

SUB: Noni Madueke (46’ for Eze)—7.0: Rewarded for his directness by scoring the winner.

SUB: Jurrïen Timber (66’ for White)—6.6: Timed his runs superbly when he surged forward, helping Arsenal’s right-hand side click.

SUB: Mikel Merino (66’ for Guimarães)—6.5: Neat and tidy in a deeper midfield role. Seemed like a possible match-winner, given the nature of the contest.

SUB: Viktor Gyökeres (66’ for Havertz)—6.0: Produced a couple of handy channel runs to offer respite late on.

Subs not used: Illan Meslier (GK), Martín Zubimendi, Max Dowman, Cristhian Mosquera, Myles Lewis-Skelly.

What the Ratings Tell Us

• Eze’s role in Arsenal’s second-half blitz of Lille midweek failed to operate as a springboard for the Englishman’s fortunes down the left-hand side. With his former boss occupying the home dugout, Eze failed to do himself justice as the Gunners funneled their attacks through Saka. The touches he did get were with little conviction, and he was withdrawn at halftime. Arsenal desperately need Christos Tzolis back.
• This was a Forest side without Igor Jesus and Morgan Gibbs-White, yet Delap almost single-handedly made Arsenal’s stout backline work. However, the Gunners’ defense answered the call, as Konsa and Gabriel maintained their composure in transition, supplying the necessary protection to ensure Raya had a quiet afternoon between the posts.

The Numbers That Explain Arsenal’s Ugly Victory

• There was absolutely no flow to the first half at the City Ground, with the two teams failing to notch a single shot on target in the opening period.
• Arsenal have scored just three first-half goals in the Premier League this season and are the 12th-best performing team in the opening period.
• Madueke’s goal was Arsenal’s only shot on target in the match. They risked failing to record a shot on goal for the first time in five years.