Another week, another 90 minutes of gritted teeth for Arsenal’s attack as Nottingham Forest pushed them to the limit before Noni Madueke helped the Gunners to a 1-0 win at the City Ground on Sunday.
The reigning Premier League champions had trouble manufacturing danger despite their possession total hovering around 75% for most of the game.
MORE — Forest vs Arsenal recap, highlights | Concerning performances, or no?
The Gunners were deprived of a shot on target deep into the contest, and Oliver Glasner’s hosts found more and more danger on the counter as they sought to turn a surprise point into a shocking three.
But Noni Madueke’s 80th-minute strike — Arsenal’s first shot on target — took a huge turn off the leg of Jair Cunha and beat Matz Sels to give the Gunners a lead.
How did Arteta view the game?
Mikel Arteta reaction — What did Arsenal manager say after gritty trip to Nottingham Forest?
Tough game, but you got a win: “Something we didn’t do the last two seasons, which was win the game. The margins were really small. The longer the game goes on, they have more belief, you have to take more risks, and the game can break. It was tough to generate open chances against them.”
“The way they were defending outside. The way they we weren’t creating without a threat in behind.”
Eze looked disappointing after halftime sub: “Three days ago he scored a goal, he could’ve scored three. This is football. One day he is brilliant but it is normal. With that Christmas tree it is difficult to get in there. We needed a different profile and fresh legs.”
Why goals weren’t coming: “We had another three big chances where the ball should not only be on target but a goal.”