Madueke’s deflected strike sinks Nottingham Forest, keeps Arsenal in title hunt

By Tosin Omojola

Arsenal secured their sixth Premier League win of the season after substitute Noni Madueke scored in the second half to earn the defending champions a narrow victory over Nottingham Forest.

The Gunners looked set to settle for their first draw of the campaign as they struggled to break down Forest’s resolute defence.

A disappointing first half produced no shots on target from either side, making it only the second time this season that a Premier League match had reached the break without either team testing the opposing goalkeeper.

The first occurrence also involved Arsenal, in their August 31 encounter with Aston Villa, which the Gunners won 1-0 thanks to Bukayo Saka’s second-half strike.

Arsenal once again found a way to secure all three points when Madueke, introduced at half-time in place of Eberechi Eze, saw his effort deflect off Daniel Munoz and into the net.

The goal was Arsenal’s first shot on target and came as a frustrating blow to Forest, who had made the better start to the second half and looked capable of causing an upset.

However, poor finishing proved costly for the hosts, whose search for their first home win of the season continues.

The victory keeps Arsenal second in the Premier League standings, three points behind leaders Manchester City.