Madueke's deflected strike gives Arsenal 1-0 win and drops Nottingham Forest into the bottom three

Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground on Sunday through substitute Noni Madueke's deflected 80th-minute strike — the champions' only shot on target of the match. The result leaves Arsenal on 18 points, three behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, and sends Forest into the relegation zone.

  • Result: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Arsenal
  • Venue: the City Ground
  • Competition: Premier League
  • Decisive moment: Noni Madueke's 80th-minute shot deflected off Jair Cunha past Matz Sels
  • Table impact: Arsenal reach 18 points, three behind Manchester City; Forest drop into the relegation zone
  • Arsenal's shots on target: one, all match

The match in detail

Arsenal dominated possession but registered no shots on target in the first half. Kai Havertz headed wide from a Declan Rice free-kick on 37 minutes, while Gabriel's set-piece effort was cleared almost off the line by Ousmane Diomande after deflecting off William Saliba shortly before.

Forest, managed by Oliver Glasner, defended resolutely and threatened on the counter. At 19 minutes Riccardo Calafiori's mistake gave Forest an opening, but Dan Ndoye shot into the side netting. Liam Delap went close on 54 minutes when his effort deflected wide.

Mikel Arteta made a half-time change, replacing Eze with Madueke, and then made three more substitutions on 66 minutes, bringing on Jurrien Timber, Viktor Gyökeres and Mikel Merino. The breakthrough arrived on 80 minutes when Madueke cut inside from the left and fired towards goal; the strike deflected off Cunha, wrong-footed Matz Sels and found the net.

Forest pushed for an equaliser. On 89 minutes Callum Hudson-Odoi set up Chris Wood, but Rice blocked his shot. In stoppage time Murillo produced a superb solo run, driving at the Arsenal defence before curling narrowly wide, and Ezri Konsa then made a crucial late challenge to deny Delap.

Timeline of the key moments at the City Ground

  • 19 min: Calafiori's mistake lets Forest in, but Ndoye shoots into the side netting
  • 26 min: Gabriel's effort deflects off Saliba and is cleared close to the line by Diomande
  • 37 min: Havertz heads wide from Rice's free-kick
  • 46 min: Madueke replaces Eze as Arteta makes a half-time change
  • 54 min: Delap's deflected effort goes wide
  • 66 min: Timber, Gyökeres and Merino come on
  • 80 min: GOAL — Madueke's strike deflects off Cunha and beats Sels
  • 89 min: Hudson-Odoi sets up Wood, but Rice blocks his shot
  • 90+2: Murillo drives forward and curls narrowly wide
  • 90+3: Konsa times a vital challenge to deny Delap

The numbers

  • Arsenal shots on target: one
  • Arsenal first-half shots on target: none
  • Arsenal points: 18
  • Arsenal's gap to Manchester City: three points
  • Forest home league goals this season: zero
  • Forest league position: relegation zone

Why one shot on target was enough for Arteta

This was not Arsenal at their fluent best, but the pattern of the match explains the result. Arsenal controlled the ball without penetrating, and Forest's low block — marshalled by Murillo and Cunha and protected by Diomande's clearance at the near post on 26 minutes — forced Arsenal into low-percentage deliveries. The first half produced headers and scrambles but nothing on target.

Arteta's response was decisive rather than tactical: Madueke's introduction at half-time for Eze gave Arsenal a direct dribbler on the left, and the triple change on 66 minutes added fresh legs in Timber, Gyökeres and Merino. The winning goal came from exactly that profile — a substitute cutting inside and shooting — with the deflection off Cunha doing the rest.

The defensive side mattered just as much. Rice, already involved at the other end for the free-kick that Havertz headed wide, blocked Wood's shot on 89 minutes, and Konsa's late challenge on Delap at 90+3 protected the three points. Arsenal's ability to win without a clean attacking performance is the difference between chasing Manchester City and falling away.

For Forest, the story is familiar. Glasner's side defended well and created moments — Ndoye's side-netting effort, Delap's deflection, Murillo's run — but they are still waiting for their first home league goal of the season. That statistic, more than any single result, explains why they now sit in the relegation zone.

Talking points

  • Does a one-shot-on-target win against a bottom-three side flatter Arsenal, or is grinding out results exactly what a title race demands?
  • Forest have defended well for large parts of games but have no home league goal this season — Glasner's attacking plan is the real problem.
  • Arteta's half-time change, bringing on Madueke for Eze, directly produced the winner — should that be a starting option rather than a rescue act?
  • Murillo's stoppage-time run was the outstanding individual moment of the match; Forest need more of that risk from their defenders.

What happens next

Arsenal travel on with 18 points, three behind Manchester City, and a title race to keep pace with. Forest, now in the relegation zone and still without a home league goal, face the immediate task of finding a breakthrough at the City Ground before the gap to safety widens.

Frequently asked questions

What was the score between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal?

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Arsenal, with Noni Madueke scoring the only goal in the 80th minute.

How many shots on target did Arsenal have against Forest?

Arsenal had just one shot on target in the entire match, and it was Madueke's deflected winner.

Are Nottingham Forest in the relegation zone?

Yes. The defeat dropped Forest into the relegation zone, and they are still waiting for their first home league goal of the season.

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