Noni Madueke’s Late Goal Gives Arsenal Win After Eberechi Eze Hooked
Noni Madueke struck in the 80th minute to give Arsenal an away win at Nottingham Forest after Eberechi Eze was substituted at half-time on his first Premier League start of the season.
Key takeaways
- Arteta removed £60 million recruit Eze at the interval at the City Ground.
- Madueke, sent on for Eze, delivered the decisive late goal.
- Eze has found regular selection difficult despite Arsenal’s Premier League title and Champions League final run in his first Emirates campaign.
- Ian Wright believes the England international is being used too often on the left rather than in central areas.
- Arsenal host Bayern Munich on Wednesday, while Forest visit Ipswich Town on Friday.
Eze faces fight for Arsenal place
The early substitution was a difficult moment for Eze, whose recent displays have not matched the impact expected following his move from Crystal Palace. Although Arsenal lifted the league title and reached the Champions League final in his debut season, the playmaker has not secured a settled place in Arteta’s preferred XI.
Wright said he could see a change coming during the opening 45 minutes, but felt the half-time decision would have been particularly painful for the player. He said Eze would be “devastated” by the timing of the withdrawal.
The former Arsenal striker believes the issue is partly positional. Eze is most effective when he can drift inside, combine with nearby team-mates and operate between the lines, but he has largely been stationed on the left flank.
Wright said Eze can look isolated in that role and is not being given the best platform for his principal strengths. He added that breaking into the side will be difficult in central positions, with Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres also facing a battle to become regular starters.
His advice to Eze was simple: keep taking responsibility when opportunities arrive, even if he is not currently among the first names in the line-up.
European test next for Arsenal
Arsenal now switch focus to the Champions League, with Bayern Munich due at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night in a major European fixture.
Forest, beaten at home despite containing Arsenal for long periods before Madueke’s late intervention, return to domestic action on Friday when they travel to Ipswich Town.
