Madueke's deflected late goal ends Arsenal's City Ground hoodoo to keep title race alive

Noni Madueke’s deflected strike in the 80th minute gave Arsenal a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, keeping Mikel Arteta’s side three points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City.

Arsenal laboured for the majority of the contest and failed to register a single shot on target in the first 75 minutes. Declan Rice squandered the clearest opening of the first half, and the Gunners looked set to extend a miserable run at a ground where they had won just once in their previous five visits — a sequence that included an FA Cup defeat and back-to-back goalless draws.

Arteta’s decisive move came at half-time, when he withdrew Eberechi Eze and introduced Madueke. The winger’s afternoon began poorly — he picked up an early booking and offered little going forward — but he transformed the game with ten minutes remaining. Collecting the ball on the left flank, Madueke cut inside and fired a shot that clipped a Forest defender on its way past goalkeeper Mats Sels.

The result leaves Arsenal second in the table, while Forest remain in the relegation zone despite a resilient defensive display that will offer Nuno Espírito Santo’s side some encouragement.

For Forest, Liam Delap was again their most dangerous outlet. The striker, who scored his first goal for the club in last month’s win over Aston Villa, did not find the net but caused Arsenal’s defence persistent problems with his physicality and work rate. Delap has managed just two Premier League goals in the past 18 months, and converting that kind of influence into end product will be the next step in his development.

Arsenal’s only previous win at the City Ground since Forest’s return to the top flight had come in January 2024, and the psychological weight of that record was visible throughout a laboured performance. That they found a way to claim three points regardless underlines the resilience Arteta has built into this squad across recent seasons.