Arsenal showed the champion’s spirit to get over the line at Nottingham Forest as a late winner from Noni Madueke won the game.

Madueke’s deflected effort was enough for the Gunners to take all three points and in a long season, it could prove to be a huge moment for the club.

Mikel Arteta very much rolled the dice as the game ticked by and Madueke’s introduction and subsequent winner vindicated his changes off the bench.

In general, there was plenty to digest for Arsenal fans and we’ve identified THREE key things to take away from the game for the Gunners.

Wins like this are what champions do

Sometimes, winning ugly and when you’re not at your best is what makes championship winning teams.

Arsenal did just that today and with Arteta rolling the dice off the bench, the Gunners got their bit of luck through Madueke’s goal.

Over the course of a long season, wins like this are massive and we’ve seen time and time again over the years how battling wins like this can be the difference between success and failure.

Arsenal need to sign a winger in January

It might have been Madueke who got the winner from that left-hand side but it’s abundantly clear right now that this is a problem for Arsenal.

Eberechi Eze did nothing and was rightly taken off at the break, and while Madueke got the winner and tried to make things happen, he’s still not the finished article either.

Christos Tzolis is a big miss but the Gunners need another option down that side. Come January, Mikel Arteta will be expecting help in the market.

Mikel Arteta showed a ruthless side to him

Mikel Arteta is a young manager but he isn’t afraid to make the big decisions when needed and he did just that today with Eberechi Eze.

Arsenal had so much of the ball in the opening 45 minutes but Eze had no impact on the game, creating zero chances and failing to have a shot on goal.

Eze always looked likely to be subbed at some point but for Arteta to drag him off at half-time shows a ruthless side of the Gunners boss we haven’t seen too many times.

Arteta clearly knows what it takes to win and for someone like Eze, it’s time to really knuckle down and show he can be a key part of this squad.