Arsenal win: Nottingham Forest 0-1 after Madueke goal

Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground on Sunday, October 18, 2026. Noni Madueke came off the bench and scored the only goal in the 80th minute, with his shot taking a deflection. The result kept the Gunners second in the Premier League, three points behind Manchester City, while Forest remained in the relegation zone.

How Madueke decided the match

The goal arrived with a scoreless draw beginning to look likely. According to the Premier League’s official analysis, Madueke’s deflected effort was Arsenal’s only shot on target in the entire match.

The decisive contribution underlined an important quality in Mikel Arteta’s squad: the ability to find answers on the bench. The league connected Madueke’s intervention with recent goals by other substitutes and highlighted the manager’s idea of “finishers,” the players sent on to complete a match.

Madueke said afterward that his mentality does not change whether he starts or finishes a game: he enters wanting to create or score. In Nottingham, that approach turned a limited attacking display into three points.

Why the 1-0 win matters to Arsenal

This was Arsenal’s sixth victory in their opening seven league matches. It was only the fourth time the club had reached that mark at the start of a Premier League season. The team also recorded a third clean sheet in four away league games.

Jurrien Timber, another player introduced during the contest, helped protect the lead. The bench’s impact therefore extended beyond the winning goal and into preserving the narrow advantage until full time.

In the league standings reported after the round, Arsenal remained second and three points behind Manchester City. That context makes a win earned with only one attempt on target particularly valuable.

What the defeat means for Forest

Nottingham Forest created chances but failed to convert them. Oliver Glasner called the outcome unfair and said his side had executed its plan well, according to his assessment published by the Premier League. He also acknowledged that opportunities against the champions must be taken.

It was Forest’s third consecutive defeat. The club remained in the relegation zone and had yet to score at home in this league season. Glasner saw improvement in the performances but described the sequence of results as unacceptable.

Morgan Gibbs-White missed the match after feeling an injury sustained against Crystal Palace. Glasner said he chose not to take a risk and referred to preparing the player for the coming fixtures, without confirming a return date.

When Arsenal play next

Arsenal’s next confirmed match is away to Bayern Munich in the Champions League league phase on Wednesday, October 21. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. UK time — 9 p.m. local time in Munich — at Allianz Arena, according to the club’s official schedule.

Arsenal then host Everton in the Premier League at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, October 24, at 3 p.m. UK time. The club’s official notice for local residents says that kickoff remains subject to change, so readers should check the link before the match.

When Nottingham Forest play next

Forest visit Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Friday, October 23, at 8 p.m. UK time. The fixture appears in the competition’s official schedule, which also notes that matches are subject to change.

The trip to Ipswich offers an immediate opportunity to respond: five days after running Arsenal close, Forest can try again to turn a competitive performance into points.