Noni Madueke demonstrated exactly why Mikel Arteta views him as a crucial "finisher" by netting a late winner to steer Arsenal past Oliver Glasner's Nottingham Forest. Introduced at the interval at the City Ground, the England international sealed a crucial victory in the Gunners' Premier League title defence when his 80th-minute effort on his weaker right foot took a deflection and hit the back of the net. The decisive strike marked Madueke's second goal of the campaign across all competitions and capped off a run of three consecutive impressive displays.
The 24-year-old winger has seized his moment following a hamstring injury suffered by summer signing Christos Tzolis while away with Greece. After Arsenal missed out on high-profile targets Vinicius Jr and Julian Alvarez, Tzolis arrived to replace Leandro Trossard and quickly became Arteta's preferred option on the left, leaving Madueke and Eberechi Eze fighting for minutes. However, Madueke has made the most of his recent openings, starting in a 2-1 win over Leeds and assisting the opener from the right wing against Lille in the Champions League before making his decisive impact from the bench against Forest.
Madueke explained that Arteta urged him at half-time to stay patient, remain dangerous, and contribute defensively, prompting him to cut inside and "let rip" after repeatedly taking on his defender on the outside. His upward trajectory comes after a challenging start to his Gunners career following a £48.5m switch from London rivals Chelsea, which was initially met with a fan petition opposing his signing. Despite lingering scrutiny over his end product, Madueke registered eight goals and four assists in 43 matches last term, helping Arsenal claim their first league crown in 22 years and reach the Champions League final. He is also rated by England manager Thomas Tuchel and his backroom team as one of the game's top one-on-one specialists.
Arteta praised the winger's popularity in the dressing room and hailed his growing "anger and conviction" on the pitch. Madueke's late intervention also highlights the effectiveness of Arsenal's substitutes, who have now combined for 26 Premier League goals since the beginning of last season—a league-high tally. With 10 victories from 11 competitive fixtures this term, aided by bench contributions from the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and captain Martin Odegaard, Arteta's reliance on his "finishers" continues to produce crucial results as the Gunners navigate different tactical tests.