Arsenal won 1-0 at the City Ground on Sunday 18 October, with their only shot on target. Substitute Noni Madueke, on at half-time for Eberechi Eze, took Declan Rice’s pass in the 80th minute, cut in from the left and shot. The ball went in off a deflection. The Irish Times, on a Guardian wire, and Sky put the deflection on Jair Cunha; the BBC puts it on Daniel Muñoz. We are not picking a name as a verdict: it is a goal, it is diverted, it is the 80th minute.

The defending champions did not play well. The first half had no shots on target from either side — only the second time in this Premier League season, after Arsenal again, 1-0 at Aston Villa on 31 August. Kai Havertz headed wide from a Rice free-kick; a Gabriel effort, almost on the line, was cleared by Ousmane Diomande. Arteta made a triple change on 66: Timber, Gyökeres, Merino.

Forest, under Oliver Glasner, sat dense and broke. Liam Delap held the line. Murillo curled close to an equaliser in stoppage time. Konsa cut Delap down at the death. Chris Wood, introduced, delayed; Rice blocked. The hosts still have no home league goal this season. They drop into the relegation zone. That is not a final-table sentence: it is the place after this round.

Arsenal move to 18 points, three behind leaders Manchester City, a sixth league win. The only blot on their season remains the 0-3 at Brighton. At the City Ground, in recent years, they had drawn 0-0. This time it was one-nil to the champions, sung by the away end. Attendance: 30,893.

Kick-off was 16:30 UK time, a Sunday round. Glasner is on a fifth home game without a goal in front of his own fans, the Guardian says. That is not a UEFA table figure: it is his home scoring drought. Arsenal had one win in five recent visits here, until Sunday.

The Irish Times reprints the Guardian copy. Sky and the BBC hold the score and the minute. We are not mixing in other matchdays. One shot, one deflection, three points.

Image: The Stadium Guide, City Ground, Trent End, 25 September 2004, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. Not the 80th-minute goal.

Sources consulted: Noni Madueke breaks Nottingham Forest’s resistance as dogged Arsenal edge to victory — The Irish Times; Nottingham Forest 0-1 Arsenal: Noni Madueke scores as Gunners win tight Premier League game — BBC Sport.