Why Ian Wright’s verdict on Arsenal’s Forest win shows they’re still title favourites

Arsenal managed to keep pace with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table after they beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground. It was a Noni Madueke goal that broke the deadlock after 80 minutes.

It was a frustrating watch, as the Gunners managed to record just one shot on target in the entire game, and there was a worry that their lacklustre attack wouldn't produce a goal. However, Madueke came on in the second half, and added a bright-spark on the left-wing, helping the Gunners secure their three points.

A win is a win, but it was certainly a concerning afternoon at the City Ground, which could leave many fans wondering if this Arsenal team is really good enough to repeat their heroics of last season.

Ian Wright was impressed with Arsenal's patience

Not every Arsenal fan saw this as a worrying performance, though, as former Gunners' striker Ian Wright said that he was impressed by how patient Arsenal were against Forest, even though they hadn't been at their best.

Wright said on Sky Sports: "There wasn’t that final ball; we saw it in the first half. Unfortunately, we saw Eze get taken off… he got an opportunity, and it didn’t quite happen for him today; same on the other side with Saka. We always work better on the right-hand side. I didn’t even feel like Calafiori was his normal self today, but we kept going; that was the main thing.

"We know that the bench has been very good, and again, someone has come off the bench (and scored). I liked the patience, and then we did score; we kind of managed it more. I liked the patience we showed in making sure that you don’t get frustrated like we could’ve last season."

Arsenal's Forest win is scary for the rest of the Premier League

Wright by name right by nature, Arsenal were patient on Sunday, and most importantly, didn't get frustrated or disorganised. If anything, the win perhaps solidifies their title-favourites status more than any other game.

Arsenal managed to win when clearly not at their best. They struggled to produce any sort of meaningful shots throughout, but, they trusted their defence to keep a clean sheet, they remained patient for that goalscoring chance to come and then they took it.

It's a cliché, but it's the mark of a very good football team: to win despite a poor performance. If I was Manchester City, I would worry about this Arsenal team.