Noni Madueke may have a new opportunity to become a starter at Arsenal due to showing some promise at a position of need for Mikel Arteta. The Gunners found a way past Nottingham Forest on Sunday, but they struggled to break through at the City Ground.

The game was won by Madueke, who came on for the struggling Eberechi Eze at half-time. Madueke cut inside from the left and unleashed a shot that was deflected into the far right top corner.

Eze just can't seem to get going this season, and after being replaced at half-time, one has to imagine he is going to find it difficult to win another start any time soon. Christos Tzolis is the obvious choice on the left, but he is out injured for a few more weeks, meaning Arsenal have a problem.

The Gunners were desperate to strengthen the position over the summer, but they ended up getting weaker on that side due to allowing Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli to leave, and they only replaced one of them.

Madueke's stats this season so far (Premier League)

• Appearances: 4 (1 start)
• Goals: 1
• Assists: 0
• Pass success: 87.8%
• Shots per game: 1.3
• Key passes per game: 1.8
• Dribbles per game: 0.8
• Unsuccessful touches per game: 1

Madueke is another player who needs to step things up and find some consistency if he is to be a starter, which looks unlikely whenever Bukayo Saka is fit on the right. But now that we have seen some results from Madueke on the left, you have to wonder whether the England international can take his opportunity to become a starter on that side.

“That’s the difference; you have to be clinical. It’s an action that we have three or four goes in a row, they get a little bit disorganised, Noni has time on the ball, and he can deliver those moments.” - Mikel Arteta on Madueke

Arteta may not have much choice in any case, but Madueke needs to take the opportunity if he gets it. If he can provide regular goals and assists on that side and show an ability to become a left-winger, there may be hope for his Arsenal career yet.

Madueke is a good player, but he hasn't fulfilled his £52million price tag, and part of that could be because the role of a supplementary winger is not an easy one. It's difficult to maintain rhythm and form without being a regular starter, but unlikely to replace Saka, the winger is going to have to show some versatility if he wants more minutes.

He did on Sunday, and credit to him for coming on and making the difference. If he can do it more regularly on that side, he could transform his Gunners career.