Madueke's 80th-Minute Goal Breaks the Deadlock
Arsenal secured a precious 1-0 victory away at Nottingham Forest in Premier League matchday 7 at the City Ground on Sunday evening WIB (18/10/2026). The only goal was scored by Noni Madueke in the 80th minute, breaking the deadlock after 80 minutes of Forest's resolute defending had frustrated the defending champions.
The match, which kicked off at 22:30 WIB, ended in the 90+4th minute with late drama. Nottingham Forest came close to snatching an equaliser through several golden chances, but Arsenal defended heroically to secure three vital points.
Dominant but Blunt Arsenal in the First Half
Despite holding 73% of possession, Arsenal were toothless in the first half. The defending champions did not register a single shot on target before the break. Kai Havertz's header from a Declan Rice free-kick sailed over the bar, while Gabriel's set-piece effort was cleared almost off the goal line by Ousmane Diomande.
Nottingham Forest defended in disciplined fashion and occasionally threatened on the counter-attack. The goalless 0-0 scoreline stood at half-time, forcing Mikel Arteta — who rarely wins at the City Ground — to rework his tactics.
Super-Sub Madueke Makes the Difference
Arteta brought on Noni Madueke at the start of the second half for Eberechi Eze, and the call proved decisive. In the 66th minute, Arteta made three changes at once: Jurrien Timber replaced Ben White, Viktor Gyökeres came on for Kai Havertz, and Mikel Merino took the place of Bruno Guimarães.
The winner came from Madueke's foray down the left in the 80th minute. His shot deflected off Jair Cunha and wrong-footed goalkeeper Matz Sels, who was left stranded. That fortunate strike was Arsenal's only shot on target that found the net in the game.
Late Drama: Konsa the Arsenal Hero
Forest came agonisingly close to stealing a point at the death. Chris Wood squandered a golden opportunity in the 89th minute, followed by Murillo's individual burst into the penalty area and a curling effort that drifted narrowly wide in the 90+2nd minute. The drama peaked when Ezri Konsa blocked Liam Delap's shot in injury time, sparing Arsenal from conceding.
The win takes Arsenal to 18 points from seven games, just three points behind league leaders Manchester City. Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, slipped to 18th in the relegation zone and are still waiting for their first home league goal of the season. For Arsenal, the next test is a trip to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, still without Piero Hincapie, Christos Tzolis, and William Saliba.
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