Madueke strikes late but who missed his big chance? - Forest v Arsenal ratings

What the report says

Noni Madueke came off the bench at half-time to score the decisive goal as Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground in a match BBC Sport described as short on clear chances. The result was presented as an important win for Arsenal, who struggled to break Forest down for much of the contest before finding a late breakthrough.

In BBC Sport Football’s player ratings, Madueke was named player of the match after his deflected effort settled the game. The report said Declan Rice helped set up the winner after missing a significant chance earlier, while David Raya produced a steady display in goal. For Forest, goalkeeper Matz Sels was largely untested, and defender Jair Cunha was noted as unfortunate that Madueke’s shot clipped him on its way in.

The match report also highlighted a frustrating afternoon for several attacking players on both sides. Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze and Kai Havertz were among those rated lower after failing to make a strong impact, while Forest’s James McAtee was asked to provide more creativity in the absence of Morgan Gibbs-White but could not unlock the visitors’ defence. The narrow result underlined how a single late moment decided a game in which both teams found it difficult to create much in open play.