Arteta builds a lethal weapon: Arsenal outstrip Europe's elite

The art of winning by the bare minimum

Arsenal escaped the trap Nottingham Forest had set for them, snatching a hard-fought 1-0 win on Sunday at the City Ground in the seventh round of the Premier League.

The London side had drawn a blank for most of the afternoon. Then, on 80 minutes, Noni Madueke cracked the Forest defence, collecting a pass from Declan Rice and driving in from the left before unleashing a superb rocket of a shot that nestled in the net to hand his side three precious points.

Statistics network "Squawka" dug out a striking figure for Arsenal: 18 wins by a single goal over the past two seasons, more than any other club in Europe's big five leagues.

Fellow statistics network "Opta" added another. Arsenal have racked up the most 1-0 wins in the Premier League since Mikel Arteta took technical charge in December 2019, level with Everton on 32 apiece.