Despite a largely flat performance, Mikel Arteta hailed his Arsenal side's patience and will after their narrow 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest on Sunday. 

Noni Madueke scored the winner in the 80th minute at the City Ground, with his far-corner strike deflecting in off Jair Cunha after Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice both sent efforts over the bar. 

Forest defended admirably and posed a strong challenge to the reigning Premier League champions in the closing stages, with Chris Wood and Murillo spurning promising chances. 

The result marked a third straight defeat for Oliver Glasner's side, while it boosted the Gunners back up to second in the table. 

"We knew the margins would be really small," Arteta told Sky Sports. "They are extremely well coached and organised. 

"The longer the game goes on, they gain more belief. We had to be so patient. And clinical when we got the chance. 

"The way they were defending, they were more comfortable. But we have players with different qualities and can adapt to what the game is delivering. 

"We have another three big chances that should be goals. That is the difference, you have to be clinical. If we keep generating chances, they will come. 

"Today, let's enjoy the win, because it was a very tough one." 

Arsenal have made narrow victories something of a habit under Arteta, with the Gunners recording the joint-highest number of 1-0 wins in the Premier League of any side since the Spaniard took charge (32, level with Everton). 

Arteta's side have also followed up their title-winning campaign strongly, having now won as many as six of their opening seven games of a Premier League season for the fourth time – after also winning six in 2004-05, 2007-08, and 2022-23. 

Support that deserved those celebrations! Safe journey home, Gooners

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 18, 2026

Forest, meanwhile, will have to wait for their first home win of the season.  

Along with Schalke, the Tricky Trees are also one of just two sides without a home league goal in Europe's top five leagues this season.  

They are also just the fifth side in English top-flight history to fail to score in their first four home matches of a campaign, after West Brom in 1921-22, Everton in 1998-99, Crystal Palace in 2018-19, and Huddersfield Town in 2018-19. 

Despite the defeat, Glasner opted to look at the positives, praising his side's performance and urging patience. 

"Very tough to take, bit of deja vu," the Forest boss told BBC Match of the Day. 

"Many things here we feel the result is unfair but it’s what stands and it's zero points at home. Very good performance against the champions. We caused many problems, didn't give them a lot and at the end we have zero points. 

"Feels a bit weird to have a third defeat in a row but I see progress in every game and today the effort was amazing – it was just the result we can't be pleased with. 

"Now it is how we deal with the situation and react as a team and just how we can change this is by staying positive, sticking together and working hard.  

"And having this coolness, not to worry too much because I can see good performances and not good results. The results will come if the performances stay good."