Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal: Match Report

Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal finished 0-1 at the City Ground on Sunday, 18 October 2026. Substitute Noni Madueke scored in the 80th minute, set up by Declan Rice, to give Mikel Arteta’s side a hard-earned Premier League win. Arsenal stay second, three points behind Manchester City, while Forest remain 18th.

What was the final score in Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal?

Arsenal won 1-0 away from home, and the goal came ten minutes from the end. Kick-off was at 17:30 SAST, and Michael Oliver refereed the game at the City Ground, according to our match data.

The first half ended goalless, and the contest stayed tight until Madueke broke through. As a result, Arsenal collected their sixth win in seven league games, while Forest lost for the fourth time in the same period.

You can follow the rest of the weekend’s scores on our live scores page.

Who scored the winning goal?

Noni Madueke scored it in the 80th minute, with Declan Rice credited with the assist. Madueke had only come on at half-time, replacing Eberechi Eze, so Arteta’s change paid off.

Remarkably, it was Arsenal’s only shot on target in the whole match. Forest had 14 attempts, yet they could not make the same kind of precision count. Therefore, the game turned on one clean moment rather than a long spell of pressure.

How did the match unfold?

Forest set up in a 3-4-2-1 and defended deep for long periods. Neco Williams collected an early yellow card in the 17th minute, but the hosts mostly held their shape.

Arsenal had to be patient. Madueke was booked in the 53rd minute, shortly after coming on, and then Arteta reshaped the team in the 66th minute. Ben White, Kai Havertz and Bruno Guimarães made way for Jurriën Timber, Viktor Gyökeres and Mikel Merino.

Forest answered with their own changes. Dan Ndoye was replaced by Arnaud Kalimuendo in the 73rd minute, and Nicolás Domínguez by Ibrahim Sangaré a minute later. Then Chris Wood and Callum Hudson-Odoi arrived in the 85th minute for Jair Cunha and James McAtee. However, the late rally did not produce an equaliser.

What did the match statistics show?

Arsenal controlled the ball, and Forest produced the shots. The visitors had 74 percent of the possession and completed 569 of 634 passes, while the hosts had 26 percent and 158 accurate passes.

Forest had 14 shots, eight of them inside the box, and won eight corners to Arsenal’s six. Even so, only two of their efforts hit the target. Arsenal took nine shots, and the expected-goals count was 1.16 for the visitors and 0.94 for Forest.

David Raya made two saves for Arsenal, while Forest keeper M. Sels did not have a save to make from the single effort that beat him. Meanwhile, the foul count was 14 for Forest and eight for Arsenal, with one yellow card for each side.

What were the starting line-ups?

Forest lined up in a 3-4-2-1. The eleven was M. Sels, Jair, O. Diomande, Murillo, D. Muñoz, J. McAtee, X. Schlager, N. Williams, N. Domínguez, D. Ndoye and L. Delap.

Arsenal chose a 4-2-3-1. Their eleven was David Raya, B. White, E. Konsa, Gabriel Magalhães, R. Calafiori, D. Rice, Bruno Guimarães, B. Saka, M. Ødegaard, E. Eze and K. Havertz.

Madueke, Gyökeres, Merino, Timber and Martín Zubimendi were among the Arsenal options on the bench. That depth gave Arteta the freedom to change the game when it stalled.

How have both teams played this season?

Arsenal have six wins and one defeat in seven league matches. Their results include a 3-0 win over Coventry, a 2-1 win over Chelsea and a 2-1 win over Leeds on 10 October, with the only loss a 3-0 defeat at Brighton on 19 September.

Forest, by contrast, have scored five goals all season and failed to score in four of their seven league games. They drew 2-2 at Liverpool, won 2-1 at Aston Villa, and lost to Leeds, Coventry, Crystal Palace and now Arsenal.

Our Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal preview set out those trends before kick-off, and the match followed the pattern of a low-scoring Forest side meeting a patient opponent.

What does the history between the clubs say?

Arsenal lead the recent meetings comfortably. They won 3-0 at home in September 2025, according to the Premier League report, with Martín Zubimendi scoring twice and Viktor Gyökeres adding a third.

The 17 January 2026 game at the City Ground ended 0-0, and the meetings in February 2025 and November 2024 finished 0-0 and 3-0. Overall, Forest have not beaten Arsenal in any of the last six meetings in our data.

Because of that record, Arsenal went into the game with confidence even though they have been less convincing on the road than at home.

What does the result mean for the Premier League table?

Arsenal have 18 points from seven games, with six wins, a goal difference of plus six and 11 goals scored. They are second, three points behind Manchester City on 21 and two points ahead of third-placed Brighton on 16.

Forest have five points from seven games, with one win, two draws and four defeats. They are 18th, level on points with 17th-placed Fulham, and only Sunderland on four points and Tottenham on three are below them.

For a look at how the next round could shape those positions, read our Premier League predictions hub.

When do Arsenal and Forest play next?

Arsenal travel to Bayern München in the Champions League on Wednesday, 21 October at 21:00 SAST. Then they host Everton in the league on Saturday, 24 October at 16:00 SAST. Our earlier Arsenal vs Lille preview covers their Champions League campaign so far.

Forest visit Ipswich on Friday, 23 October at 21:00 SAST. After that they face Brentford away on 31 October and Manchester City at home on 7 November.

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