Madueke Reveals What Has Changed at Arsenal After Forest Winner

Noni Madueke was Arsenal’s hero at Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon, but the match-winner believes there’s something more important developing within Mikel Arteta’s squad.

The winger came off the bench at half-time to replace Eberechi Eze before scoring the only goal in a frustrating 1-0 victory at the City Ground.

It certainly wasn’t pretty, but Madueke believes Arsenal have developed the mentality needed to win difficult matches, even when they’re far from their best.

Madueke Sees a Different Arsenal This Season

Speaking after the match, as reported by The National, Madueke said:

“This place is so hard to come to, everybody knows it. They make it so difficult for you. It was a really tough game but we are really happy as we did it all together. We showed grit and determination and a champion’s spirit.”

The England international also suggested Arsenal might not have won this type of match last season, pointing to the increased belief within the squad.

And you can understand his confidence.

Arsenal struggled to create anything meaningful for much of the afternoon, but Madueke’s willingness to take on his defender finally produced the breakthrough.

His shot took a fortunate deflection, but who cares? Sometimes you need someone prepared to make something happen rather than endlessly passing around the opposition’s penalty area.

Arsenal’s Squad Depth Is Making the Difference

Madueke also highlighted the quality available throughout Arsenal’s squad and the importance of maintaining the same mentality whether starting or coming off the bench.

That’s becoming an increasingly important theme this season.

Arteta’s substitutions have repeatedly influenced matches, and his comments about Arsenal’s patience against Forest suggest he’s comfortable trusting his players to find solutions.

But there’s another side to that argument.

Surely Arsenal shouldn’t need their substitutes to rescue them quite so often?

Madueke deserves enormous credit for Sunday’s victory, particularly when several established starters struggled to make an impact.

And while the performance left plenty to be desired, three points away from home are always welcome.

Perhaps Madueke is right. Maybe this Arsenal side really has developed that extra belief needed to defend their Premier League title.