Arsenal latest: Arteta salutes ‘special’ Madueke after late winner

Mikel Arteta hailed “special character” Noni Madueke after he fired Arsenal to a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest. Madueke came on at half-time, and his deflected effort 10 minutes from time was enough to secure all three points at the City Ground. The 24-year-old was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s most recent England squad but has produced an impressive response.

“Noni, look at me, a smile on my face because he’s a special character,” Arteta said. “He’s someone very much loved in and around the dressing room, the way he connects, talks to people. “He’s just a special guy. I think I saw an interview where they were asking a few of our players, ‘Who would you call if you have a problem?’ “And some of them said Noni, which I was surprised [by].

“But I think it’s a massive credit and explains the kind of person that he is. He’s in a good moment. “I think after the break, he’s showing something else, another level of anger, another level of conviction as well in his actions, and he’s becoming now decisive in matches, which is what we expect for a player like him.”

Madueke’s goal was Arsenal’s only shot on target in a disjointed performance that lacked attacking quality, although the champions’ ability to grind out a result cannot be questioned. “I think we have played 11 competitive matches. We won 10. So we’re going to gain the variety of ways to win in many different contexts,” Arteta added. “We knew we wouldn’t score in the first 20, 30 minutes.

We weren’t going to face a different Forest because they are extremely well coached. They put a Christmas tree there. There is no space to play. You have to be so neat and tidy. “You have to otherwise generate a lot of chaos in the box, whether it is in open play or with set-pieces. “We did a couple of times and created two big chances. We didn’t even hit the target, which is the difference.

“And the longer the game goes, we say, ‘OK, now we have to play a different game because [at] the moment we start to ramp up our level of frustration’. “But we got the goal.”

Mikel Arteta to Sky Sports:"Let's now prepare."Let's enjoy a little bit the win because it was a really tough one and on Wednesday we have a really tough gme against Bayern Munich away."

Mikel Arteta on Eberechi Eze substitution at half-time:"The way they were defending (was the reason why I brought him off)."Three days ago, he scored a goal and he should have scored three, and we are all happy. So this is football."That's why you need fresh legs, a different profile and to try different things."

Mikel Arteta to Sky Sports:"We had another three chances [in the game] that should have been on target."And not only on target, but they should have been goal. "That's the difference, you have to be clinical.

Mikel Arteta to Sky Sports:"We did something we didn't do in the two seasons before and that is win the game. "We knew the margins would be small unless you open up the game much earlier, which we had two chances to do. "The longer the game goes on, they have more belief and that's when you have to take more risks and that when the game can break. "But we talked about it.

We had to be so patient, without getting frustrated." It was tough to generate open chances against them. And we have to take them when we get them."

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright on Eberechi Eze:"It's very tough," he told Sky Sports. "Madueke has that pace, but Eze is more of a moments player, more in field. At the moment it's tough for him to get in the team in field." It's the lefthand side for him. He needs people around him when he has the ball. Taking someone on isn't his main skill. In the middle of the pitch he can go left or right.

But he's a bit isolated." I'd have a go [if I was Eze]. Whatever happens, he's not going to be one of the first teamers - he'll come in and out of the team like Gyokeres and Madueke." So he'll have to take an opportunity and do what he does. The way it went in the first half I thought he'd take him off."

Arsenal's only shot on target proved enough to snatch victory at Nottingham Forest through Noni Madueke's deflected strike, keeping the champions within touching distance of Premier League leaders Manchester City and condemning Forest to the relegation zone.

Five wins from six for Arsenal in the Premier League so far - they've scored 21 goals in all competitions this season and barring a penalty, all of them have come from open play! Roman Kemp caught up with Mikel Arteta to find out what's changed.

Kaynak: Sky Sports · Özgün metin İngilizcedir.