Arsenal escaped with a crucial 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, but their performance left plenty to be desired as Noni Madueke came to the rescue with a late winner.
The Gunners struggled to create clear chances for most of the match, finally breaking the deadlock in the 80th minute when Madueke’s effort took a deflection before beating goalkeeper Matz Sels. Remarkably, it was Arsenal’s first shot on target.
While Forest threatened to make life difficult for the visitors, Arsenal’s defence stood firm to secure a clean sheet.
GABRIEL LEADS THE WAY 🛡️
Gabriel Magalhães earned an impressive 8/10 for his commanding performance at the back. With William Saliba absent, the Brazilian took responsibility, kept Forest’s attack under control and even came close to scoring.
Ezri Konsa also received an 8/10 for his physical defending and crucial late intervention against Liam Delap.
Martin Ødegaard was one of Arsenal’s brighter attacking players, earning 7/10 despite struggling to find openings against Forest’s organised defence.
David Raya, Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice, Bruno Guimarães and Bukayo Saka all received 6/10 for their contributions in a difficult afternoon.
EZE’S NIGHTMARE DISPLAY 😬
Eberechi Eze endured a frustrating outing, receiving a disappointing 3/10. The midfielder failed to make the most of his opportunity in the starting lineup, and a misplaced pass during first-half stoppage time proved to be his final contribution before Mikel Arteta substituted him at the break.
Kai Havertz also struggled, earning just 4/10 after failing to make a meaningful impact in attack.
MADUEKE SAVES ARSENAL! ⚡
Introduced at half-time in place of Eze, Noni Madueke completely changed the mood with an energetic performance.
The winger scored the decisive goal in the 80th minute, with his deflected strike securing three valuable points for the Gunners. He earned an 8/10 and was arguably Arsenal’s standout attacking player.
Jurrien Timber and Viktor Gyökeres received 5/10, while Mikel Merino earned 6/10 after helping Arsenal gain more control late in the game.
Arsenal got the result, but their lack of attacking sharpness will concern Arteta. Gabriel stood tall at the back, while Madueke delivered when it mattered most.
