Arsenal snatched a precious 1-0 victory away to Nottingham Forest, capitalizing on clinical efficiency that earned Mikel Arteta’s side all three points and propelled them back into second place in the Premier League.
At the City Ground, the title contenders needed patience to unlock the hosts’ defense on matchday seven, adding another victory secured by the slimmest of margins—a trait that has become one of their most vital weapons in the Premier League title race.
The breakthrough came courtesy of substitute Noni Madueke, who scored the game’s only goal in the 80th minute following a pass from Declan Rice, handing the Gunners a late reward and denying Forest a point they had clung to until the dying minutes.
The most striking statistic highlights the scale of Arsenal’s efficiency: the Gunners managed just a single shot on target throughout the entire match, yet it was enough to ripple the back of the net and seal the win. Consequently, the team walked away with a maximum-points victory from a fixture where they lacked their usual attacking threat, backed by another clean sheet.
This scenario is no longer an exception in Arsenal matches; the team has now secured 18 Premier League victories by a single-goal margin across the current and previous seasons, more than any other side across Europe’s top five leagues, underlining their knack for turning tight matches into points.
This resilient trait extends across Arteta’s entire tenure; since taking charge in December 2019, Arsenal have recorded 32 1-0 wins in the Premier League, sharing the summit with Everton for the most victories by this scoreline over the same period.
The Gunners raised their tally to 18 points from six wins and one defeat in seven games, reclaiming second place from Brighton (16 points) and narrowing the gap with league leaders Manchester City to three points. Conversely, Oliver Glasner’s side remain stuck on five points in 18th place, having suffered their fourth defeat alongside one win and two draws.
Nottingham Forest’s woes are compounded by their home scoring drought; they have played four league matches at the City Ground this season without scoring a single goal, managing just one draw and three defeats. While Arsenal needed just one effort on target to emerge victorious, the hosts remained incapable of capitalizing on their home advantage.
Arsenal now face a congested schedule starting with a trip to face Bayern Munich on Wednesday, October 21, in the Champions League, before hosting Everton on Saturday, October 24, in the league. They will then travel to face Fleetwood Town on Tuesday, October 27, in the EFL Cup Round of 16, prior to visiting Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, November 1.
