Arsenal left the City Ground with three points, and Nottingham Forest were beaten 1-0. The result keeps the numbers moving in Arsenal's favour, but the first half looked like a side content to keep the ball rather than break a game open. They have now gone six straight matches without a first-half goal.
Arsenal's controlled but cautious first half
The possession and passing numbers were tidy enough. Arsenal had 74 per cent of the ball, completed 331 first-half passes and finished that period at 91 per cent accuracy. None of it translated into a goal before the interval, and that is the part Mikel Arteta will have seen before this season.
Madueke and the late edge
Arteta turned to his bench after the break, with Viktor Gyökeres among the late options. Noni Madueke was one of the changes that mattered most. Eberechi Eze was replaced at half-time by Madueke, and after 80 minutes his deflected strike squirmed past Matz Sels to settle it.
Arteta summed up the wider point after the game: "Ten wins out of 11 games." That record is strong enough to keep Arsenal moving, and it also explains why the scrutiny stays focused on how they are winning rather than the fact that they are winning. The points are there, the flow still looks patchy, and the gap between the two was obvious again at Forest.
Arsenal now go into the next run of fixtures with 10 wins from 11 across all competitions and a first-half scoring problem that has lasted six games.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
