Match report
Arsenal left The City Ground with a narrow 1-0 Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest, settled by Noni Madueke’s 80th-minute right-footed finish. Declan Rice supplied the assist for the only goal of a contest that remained level through the first half and deep into the second.
The result reflected Arsenal’s sustained control of the ball and territory, while Forest still produced a notable attacking volume of their own. Arsenal had 74% possession, completed 565 of 629 passes and recorded 128 attacks, compared with Forest’s 26% possession, 155 successful passes from 221 attempts and 52 attacks.
A goalless first half
Neither side found a breakthrough before the interval. The opening half’s only listed disciplinary moment came in the 17th minute, when Forest’s Neco Williams was booked for a foul.
Forest began in a 3-4-2-1 formation, while Arsenal lined up in a 4-2-3-1. The home team competed strongly without the ball, winning 49 duels to Arsenal’s 48, and also led the tackle count 22 to 9. Arsenal, however, moved the ball with greater volume and accuracy, posting a 90% successful-pass rate against Forest’s 70%.
Changes and the decisive moment
Arsenal made their first alteration immediately after the restart, with Madueke replacing Eberechi Eze in the 46th minute. Madueke was then cautioned for a foul in the 53rd minute, but he went on to deliver the defining contribution of the afternoon.
At 66 minutes, Arsenal introduced Viktor Gyökeres for Kai Havertz, Mikel Merino for Bruno Guimarães and Jurriën Timber for Ben White. Forest responded later through changes of their own: Arnaud Kalimuendo replaced Dan Ndoye in the 73rd minute, Ibrahim Sangaré came on for Nicolás Domínguez a minute later, and Callum Hudson-Odoi and Chris Wood entered in the 85th minute for James McAtee and Jair Cunha respectively.
The decisive action arrived in the 80th minute. Rice set up Madueke, who converted with his right foot to make it 0-1. It was Arsenal’s sole goal and the only score of the second half.
The numbers behind a tight scoreline
Arsenal generated more pressure by several measures, recording 66 dangerous attacks to Forest’s 19 and seven accurate crosses to one. They also created one big chance and missed one, while hitting the woodwork once.
Yet Forest posed a frequent threat in terms of shot volume. The hosts attempted 14 shots to Arsenal’s nine, with two on target to Arsenal’s one. Forest also had eight corners, two more than Arsenal’s six, and made 11 key passes compared with Arsenal’s eight. David Raya made two saves for Arsenal; Forest registered no saves.
The contest was also balanced in discipline, with each side receiving one yellow card. Forest committed 14 fouls, Arsenal eight.
Key performers
Rice was named Player of the Match with a rating of 7.82 and capped his display with the assist for the winning goal. Gabriel received Arsenal’s next-highest rating at 7.75, followed by Raya on 7.27 and Bruno Guimarães on 7.26.
For Forest, Murillo led the home ratings with 7.21. Xaver Schlager scored 7.18 and James McAtee 7.14, reflecting a home performance that kept the score level until the final 10 minutes.
Arsenal’s greater possession, passing output and dangerous-attack count ultimately yielded one decisive moment. Forest had enough set-piece opportunities and attempts to keep the contest close, but the final score remained Nottingham Forest 0-1 Arsenal.