Arsenal player ratings vs Nottingham Forest: Noni Madueke proves the match-winner in gritty City Ground victory

David Raya - 7/10

A relatively quiet evening for the Spaniard in terms of shot-stopping, as he was only called upon to make two saves. However, his positioning was flawless, and he acted as a vital auxiliary playmaker, helping Arsenal maintain their high line and recycled possession effectively to keep the pressure on the hosts.

Riccardo Calafiori - 7/10

The Italian continues to look at home in this system, providing excellent balance on the left flank. He was sturdy in his individual duels and showed great composure when Forest tried to break on the counter-attack, contributing to a defensive unit that allowed very little room for error.

Gabriel - 8/10

Dominant in the air and aggressive in his interceptions, Gabriel was the bedrock of the clean sheet. He won the majority of his 13 air challenges, ensuring that Forest's long-ball outlets were effectively neutralised before they could cause any real panic in the Arsenal box.

Ezri Konsa - 7/10

Starting in place of the absent William Saliba, Konsa produced a very professional performance. He displayed great reading of the game and complemented Gabriel well, ensuring the defensive transitions remained seamless despite the change in personnel.

Ben White - 6/10

A standard Ben White performance until his withdrawal in the 66th minute. He offered his usual overlapping threat and tactical discipline but lacked the final delivery to break the deadlock during his time on the pitch. He was replaced by Jurrien Timber as Arteta sought more dynamism.

Martin Odegaard - 7/10

The captain was the primary orchestrator of Arsenal's 629 passes, constantly probing for openings in the Forest low block. While he didn't record a direct goal contribution, his ability to retain the ball under pressure was fundamental to Arsenal's 74% possession stat.

Declan Rice - 8/10

Rice was the engine room once again, covering vast amounts of ground to snuff out Forest transitions. His crowning moment came in the 80th minute, showing great vision and execution to provide the assist for Madueke's winning goal.

Bruno Guimaraes - 6/10

A somewhat frustrated evening for the midfielder, who struggled to find the killer pass through the congested central areas. He worked hard defensively but was hooked in the 66th minute for Mikel Merino as Arsenal searched for a different creative spark.

Eberechi Eze - 5/10

A disappointing outing for the playmaker, who failed to exert his usual influence on the game. He struggled to find pockets of space against a physical Forest midfield and was sacrificed at half-time for the eventual match-winner, Noni Madueke.

Bukayo Saka - 6/10

Saka was heavily doubled-teamed by the Forest defence, limiting his impact in one-on-one situations. He remained a constant threat and helped drag defenders out of position, but it wasn't a game where he could take over individually.

Kai Havertz - 6/10

Arteta recently backed Havertz to be a 30-goal striker, but this was a selfless, tactical performance rather than a clinical one. He occupied the centre-backs well and provided a focal point for the attack before being substituted in the 66th minute.

Noni Madueke - 9/10

The definitive game-changer. After coming on at half-time, he injected pace and directness into the Arsenal attack. Despite picking up a yellow card in the 53rd minute, he remained focused and delivered the winning goal in the 80th minute to secure the points.

Mikel Merino - 6/10

Introduced in the 66th minute, he added height and physical presence to the midfield during the final quarter of the match, helping Arsenal see out the win.

Jurrien Timber - 6/10

Replaced Ben White in the 66th minute and offered a bit more recovery pace as Forest attempted to play more expansively late on.

Viktor Gyokeres - 6/10

Brought on for Havertz to provide a different threat up front. While he didn't score, his presence forced the Forest defenders to stay deep during the build-up to the goal.

Mikel Arteta - 8/10

Arteta earns high marks for his proactive substitutions. Recognising the game was stagnating, his decision to bring on Madueke at half-time proved to be a masterstroke, as the winger scored the only goal of the game.