Arsenal beat Forest in dull display to stay unbeaten

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 19 Oct, 09:37 · Archive

Arsenal won 1-0 at Nottingham Forest in a lacklustre performance that saw them fail to score in the first half.

Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground in an uninspiring display. Noni Madueke scored the winning goal in the second half after a substantial deflection off Jair Cunha.

The champions dominated possession with 74 per cent of the ball but failed to create clear chances. They did not score in the first half, extending a streak to six consecutive matches without opening the scoring in the opening 45 minutes. In that first period, Arsenal attempted only three shots with none on target, while Forest mustered five attempts.

Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta stressed after the match that his side had won ten of their past eleven games. However, both outlets noted that the performance raised concerns about the team's creativity and incisiveness. Kai Havertz missed two decent chances before being replaced by Viktor Gyokeres in the second half. Guardian Sport noted that Arsenal's strength lay in the depth of their squad rather than the performance itself, with changes from the bench helping to secure victory.

How it is being reported

• Arsenal’s eye-gougingly dull win exposes a worrying trendThe Gunners stumbled towards victory at the City Ground, but remain underwhelming, writes Lawrence Ostlere, with more expected of the champions at this stage of the seasonIndependent Sport · 19 Oct, 09:14
• Another unremarkable win shows Arsenal’s strength is in depth rather than creativity | Jonathan WilsonChampions so risk-averse Forest were lured into thinking they had a chance, until bench was used to see them off Pass. Pass. Pass. Pass. Sideways. Square. Backwards. Pass. Pass. Recycle. Pass. It wasn’t much of a spectacle. But in the end, for the second week running, thanks in no small part of their bench, Arsenal won. Fireworks in the autumn are for Bonfire Night; titles require relentless accumulation. Since the international break, Arsenal have won three games out of three despite not being in the lead at half-time in any of them. Hammered at Brighton and having endured a drab first hour…Guardian Sport · 18 Oct, 20:20

In this story: Arsenal · Nottingham Forest · Noni Madueke · Mikel Arteta · Kai Havertz · Viktor Gyokeres · City Ground

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