Arteta: Arsenal substitutes changed the game in 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest

Mikel Arteta credited Arsenal's substitutes with turning the contest after his side beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 in the Premier League. The Arsenal manager spoke following the match report, insisting the players introduced from the bench altered the game and secured the result.

  • Competition: Premier League
  • Result: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Arsenal
  • Key quote: Arteta says the substitutes changed the game
  • Manager: Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
  • Print/online note: The BBC match report is available to UK users only

What was said

"Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says their substitutes changed the game as they beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 in the Premier League."

— BBC Sport's summary of Mikel Arteta's post-match assessment, after Nottingham Forest 0-1 Arsenal

The message is a familiar one from Arteta: the result was not a matter of the starting XI alone. His emphasis on the bench signals that he viewed the match as one that required a change in personnel to swing Arsenal's way, rather than a controlled performance from the off.

It is also a deliberate public endorsement of squad depth. By naming the substitutes as the difference, Arteta reinforces that players outside the first XI are trusted to decide matches — a useful message across a Premier League season.

Why Arteta is right to credit the bench

Arsenal left with three points and a clean sheet, but the framing from Arteta makes clear the match was not settled by the starting line-up alone. A 1-0 scoreline in the Premier League away from home typically means margins were thin, and the manager's assessment points to the changes as the moment the game tilted.

That matters for how Arsenal approach the coming weeks. If the substitutes are genuinely the swing factor, Arteta has justification for rotating and for making earlier or more aggressive calls from the bench rather than waiting for the game to drift. The win at Nottingham Forest becomes evidence for that approach.

It also puts responsibility on the players who came on. Publicly crediting them raises expectations: they are now the group the manager believes can change a tight match, and he will expect the same impact next time Arsenal are level or behind late on.

Talking points

  • Does crediting the substitutes flatter the bench, or is it an admission the starting XI was not good enough to win the game on its own?
  • A 1-0 away win is three points, but Arsenal still needed a change to get it — is that a strength or a warning sign?
  • Arteta has publicly backed his bench. Should he now be making those changes earlier in matches rather than reacting?
  • If the substitutes are decisive, which starters are actually at risk of losing their places?

What happens next

Arsenal return to Premier League action with the manager's faith in his squad now on the record. The next selection will show whether the players who changed the game at Nottingham Forest are promoted to the starting XI or kept as Arteta's impact options, and the reaction of the starters will be closely watched.

Frequently asked questions

What was the score between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal?

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Arsenal in the Premier League.

What did Mikel Arteta say after the Nottingham Forest game?

Arteta said Arsenal's substitutes changed the game as they beat Nottingham Forest 1-0.

Who scored in Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal?

The source article does not name the goalscorer; it only reports the 1-0 result and Arteta's comments on the substitutes.

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