Arteta Praises Arsenal’s Patience After Forest Win, But Questions Remain

Arsenal got the three points they needed at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, but it certainly wasn’t the most convincing performance we’ve seen from Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.

Noni Madueke’s deflected 80th-minute winner secured a 1-0 victory at the City Ground, ending Arsenal’s recent scoring drought at Forest and moving them back within three points of Manchester City.

Arteta was upbeat afterwards, although his comments highlighted just how difficult Arsenal found it to break down their opponents.

Speaking to Sky Sports, as reported by Reuters, Arteta explained:

“The longer the game goes on, they have more belief. You have to take more risks, and that’s when the game can break.”

Forest grew in confidence as Arsenal struggled to create clear opportunities, before Madueke finally broke the deadlock with a deflected effort.

The winger had replaced Eberechi Eze at half-time, once again demonstrating the importance of Arteta’s substitutes.

We knew from Forest’s defensive record ahead of the game that breaking them down wouldn’t necessarily be easy.

But surely we expected Arsenal to create more than one shot on target?

<

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Here’s an interesting statistic. Eight of Arsenal’s eleven Premier League goals this season have come after half-time.

That’s a remarkable proportion, and perhaps explains why we’re spending so much time waiting for the Gunners to find their attacking rhythm.

There’s certainly something encouraging about a team that keeps believing and eventually finds a way to win.

And after Manchester City’s seventh consecutive victory increased the pressure, getting all three points today was particularly important.

But let’s not pretend everything is perfect.

Against stronger opposition, Arsenal might not get away with creating so little. And with Bayern Munich next in the Champions League, there are questions Arteta needs to address.

Still, another away victory, another clean sheet and three valuable points. I’ll certainly take that!

Are Arsenal showing the patience and resilience of champions, or should we be worried about their lack of attacking chances?

Join the conversation in the comments below.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENT

So here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….

You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.

CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…

Arteta Praises Arsenal’s Patience After Forest Win, But Questions Remain

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Arsenal: Madueke rescues Gunners from a miserable afternoon

Arsenal Women Weekly Roundup: Birmingham Draw Deepens WSL Woes