Nottingham Forest 0-1 Arsenal: Premier League – as it happened

6.41pm BST

Aha, David Hytner’s match report is here.

Related: Madueke breaks Nottingham Forest’s resistance as dogged Arsenal edge to victory

Which means that’s it from me. Thanks for your company and comments; peace out.

6.37pm BST

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6.37pm BST

That was a huge win for Arsenal, who won’t have wanted to fall further behind City. They won’t get away with playing like that every week – Madueke’s deflected winner was their first shot on target – but they won’t. Arteta does, though, need to find a better attacking balance, and trying Eze against a low block makes some kind of sense, but I’m afraid it looks like it won’t work for him at Arsenal.

6.34pm BST

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6.32pm BST

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6.31pm BST

“Fresh” in that it wasn’t quite smelly enough to be off, but it really wasn’t far away.

Related: ‘Like a fresh start’: Michael Carrick relieved by Manchester United’s draw at Leeds

6.30pm BST

Madueke thanks his lord and saviour Jesus Christ, to whom goes the glory, then praises Arsenal’s determination, saying they’ve struggled at Forest the last few season.

With the goal, he felt he’d beaten his man on the outside a few times so decided to go inside and thank God it went in, then it’s more praise for God and off he goes, collecting his player of the match award and smiling broadly.

Updated at 7.58am BST

6.27pm BST

The league table 6.26pm BST

FULL TIME: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Arsenal It took a spawny winner, but Arsenal showed why they’re champions. Forest made poor decisions at crucial moments, but defended well.

6.25pm BST

90+4 min The corner comes in, the whistle goes for an infringement of some sort, and that’ll be it.

6.25pm BST

90+3 min More Murillo! He sends a terrific pass in behind, inside-left channel, and Delap is on to it, Timber in pursuit. Into the box he barrels, and he’s got to shoot, but he takes one more touch that allows the defender to slide in and block behind. If he goes earlier, he’s a little further out, but that doesn’t happen.

Updated at 6.25pm BST

6.24pm BST

90+2 min Oh my days! Out on the left, Murillo espies opportunity, suddenly banging the ball between Konsa and Timber and exploding on to it, flying into the box. Rice looks to show him outside so he leans that way then Brazilians studs over the ball inside! The shot is on, he tries a curler … and it zooms just over the angle.

6.21pm BST

90 min We’ll have three additional minutes.

6.21pm BST

89 min With Forest boxed, Arsenal go down the left, Madueke’s cross overrun by Calfiori. But then Forest counter and, when Delap wins a throw, he takes it instantly, sending Hudson-Odoi away! With Wood in the middle, this is the chance! So Hudson-Odoi draws his man then squares, but his mate’s first touch takes him into traffic, he makes it worse by continuing in that direction, and his shot is blocked at source. Excellent play until the crucial moment, then every action and decision was the wrong one.

6.19pm BST

88 min Arsenal have played well since scoring, managing the game by keeping the ball inside the Forest half. They win a free-kick which Rice swings into the box, Murillo heading out; the throw goes short, and the ball is kept.

6.17pm BST

86 min I guess Hudson-Odoi is a victim of Glasner’s preferred formation, but he’s too good to be sat at the side for 85 minutes. I wonder if he might be able to do something as one of the 10s, because he’s a much better footballer than Ndoye and McAtee, and might dovetail well with Gibbs-White in that role.

6.15pm BST

85 min Two changes for Forest, Hudson-Odoi and Wood on for Cunha and McAtee.

6.15pm BST

84 min Arsenal disappear time, slowing down the play – something which felt impossible given the treacley nature of what we’ve been watching. Forest need to get in among them.

6.13pm BST

82 min Can Forest shift mindset to respond? They’re going to bring on Chris Wood when there’s a break in play, but Arsenal are expert in navigating a rearguard.

6.12pm BST

GOAL! Nottingham Forest -1 Arsenal (Madueke 80) That kind of goal! Madueke picks up the ball a little further inside, rather than on the touchline he’s been sitting on. He runs at Munoz, twisting him up to create a shooting angle, lacing one hard that Sels should fish out at the near post, except a deflection off Cunha takes it past him near the far. When your champions, these are the things that go for you.

Updated at 7.53pm BST

6.10pm BST

79 min More Arsenal crosses, more Forest clearances. I don’t think I understand what kind of goal Arteta wants his men to score, beyond a header or from a scramble.

Updated at 7.58am BST

6.08pm BST

78 min Forest sit back and Arsenal move the ball from side to side, but with no zip. Then, when Madeueke’s cross is deflected, Murillo heads clear, before Saka’s cross from way out is collected by Sels.

6.06pm BST

76 min …which Odegaard swings into the nearest forehead. This is desperately poor stuff.

6.06pm BST

75 min That Rice chance was the best Arsenal have created all match and they might yet nick it, but I can’t help but feel the changes made have lacked a little bit imagination, as Wenger might say, As things stand, they’ve yet top have a shot on target, something they’ve not managed across a 90 in five years. They do, though, have a free-kick out on the right…

6.04pm BST

74 min Changes for Forest, Kalimuendo and Sangare for Ndoye and Dominguez.

6.03pm BST

72 min Suddenly Arsenal inject pace, Saka drawing two men then passing between them for Odegaard, who turns first-time into space for Timber – the kind of triangulation that opens tight defences. Timber cuts back well too, Rice having arrived into the box, but his swept finish is too high.

6.00pm BST

69 min Schlager to Delap, who collects well and bulldozes between the Arsenal centre-backs. But mistrustful of his pace, he doesn’t sticks the ball through the gap and charge after it, instead shooting from 20 yards, the kind of effort that needs to be special to go in … which it isn’t and doesn’t.

5.59pm BST

68 min Timber’s first, er, action is to concede a corner, Raya coming for the corner and collecting well.

5.58pm BST

67 min On those changes, I like Timber and Merino, but I’d have gone for Lewis-Skelly as well; the players who’ve come on make it seem like Arsenal are just hoping for a ball into the box to work out well.

5.57pm BST

66 min Before the corner, a triple change for Arsenal: Timber, Merino and Gyokeres for White, Guimaraes and Havert, then the corner comes in and Gabriel heads high over the bar.

5.56pm BST

65 min Now Arsenal attack, Madueke again keeping the width and winning a corner. I’m not surprised Merino is stripping off, because he might at least threaten from set-pieces. Meantime, McAtee panics when the ball looks to be dropping for Odegaard just outside the box, hitchkicking behind from 20 yards out.

5.54pm BST

63 min Murillo releases Ndoye, who doesn’t quite have the pace to get rid of Gabriel. But he is ahead of him with runners, opting to check inside, which allows the defender to get back properly, blocking the shot at source.

5.53pm BST

62 min Sels comes and punches the corner clear, then Odegaard’s pass in behind is too strong for Calafiori. I wonder if Arteta might try Dowman, because he needs a bit of something different; I’d go Lews-Skelly for Rice or Guimaraes, because he has the ability the commit men in the middle of the pitch, beating them with skill or bouncing them with power.

5.51pm BST

61 min Calafiori finds Madueke, whose low cross is deflected behind. This time, as it’s from the left, Rice will take the corner.

5.51pm BST

60 min Raya comes for the corner and collects well, setting away a counter moved on by a lovely Saka touch. For all the good it does anyone, Madueke swiftly ceding possession.

5.50pm BST

59 min McAtee’s ball bounces through the box and eventually goes behind on the other side; Forest are building a bit of territorial pressure.

5.49pm BST

58 min Williams collects a loose ball and slides square, but Guimaraes gets the ahead of Dominguez, then Munoz wins a corner down the right. Forest have been the better team so far this half, little though that’s saying.

5.48pm BST

56 min This game and Leeds v Man United have been proper 80s fare, bodies everywhere and very little quality or composure. The physicality is a little different – violence is harder to perpetrate but compensated for with athleticism – and the result is a mess. I’d expect to see many more games like this, especially as, despite the money available, the very best attackers tend not to play in England.

5.45pm BST

55 min …which Munoz clears at the near post, then there’s a quick VAR check for handball, nothing doing.

5.44pm BST

54 min Immediately, Saka bounces down the other end and wins a corner for Arsenal…

5.44pm BST

53 min Cunha lanks through midfield and finds “Delap!” But no joy for Drury, his shot deflected behind for a corner which comes to nothing.

5.43pm BST

53 min Madueke weaves in off the left, shoots … directly into the nearest shins then, when Dominguez turns White, he runs through him and is booked.

5.41pm BST

51 min This game has been almost entirely devoid of quality; in that regard, it might be the worst I’ve seen this season.

5.41pm BST

50 min Forest have started the second half well and Delap outmuscles Gabriel on the right, then belts a cross to no one.

5.39pm BST

49 min And this time McAtee hits it, flipping over the bar. Not to force one save from the two is poor from Forest.

5.39pm BST

48 min McAtee watches a dropping ball, tries a volley, slices it …, so badly, it flies at the nearby Havertz, who protects face with hands. Free-kick Forest, again just outside the D, again McAtee and Williams behind it.

5.37pm BST

47 min Arsenal move down the left but are forced backwards and Forest counter, Delap doing well to slow down Konsa before accelerating again and crossing low, Williams just unable to get on the end of it.

5.36pm BST

46 min If Arsenal want Madueke to go on the outside and, by sticking him on the left it seems they do, they have to get men into the box.

5.36pm BST

46 min We go again…

5.35pm BST

Arsenal are making a change, Madueke for Eze. They’ll hope he can keep maximum width and stretch the play, opening space for Calafiori to underlap.

5.31pm BST

Half-time email: “Arteta’s risk aversion has served him and Arsenal well,” reckons Kári Tulinius. “If Pep Guardiola hadn’t been playing with house money, he’d have a lot more silverware on his mantelpiece. But it can sometimes be counterproductive. For example, in terms of each individual match, the sensible thing to do is to start Declan Rice, because he’s the best Arsenal have got at dead ball deliveries. However, he seems to be permanently a tick below full fitness these days, which makes him less effective in open play. By contrast, Luis Enrique, Jürgen Klopp and Zinedine Zidane both have a high tolerance for risk.”

Yes, I agree – Arteta has been given the funds to build near-enough two teams, so the profiles he has are his choice. And that’s part of today’s problem, but I also think the players need to take responsibility and move the ball quicker, with more risk in their passing. We’ve not seen much of the full-backs in attack, either; can they get forward to create 2v1s?

5.21pm BST

Half-time entertainment:

5.20pm BST

HALF-TIME: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal No shots on target and very little good football. A blinder it is not.

5.19pm BST

45+3 min And the do, heading clear before Murillo’s hopeful hooked shot trickles through to Raya.

Updated at 5.19pm BST

5.18pm BST

45+2 min McAtee spreads to Williams, whose cross is blocked behind and, with Guimaraes off the pitch having taken treatment blocking the free-kick, they’ve got to defend the corner with 10.

5.16pm BST

45 min We’ll have two additional minutes.

5.16pm BST

45 min McAtee makes to run over it but backheels inside to change the angle, then Williams curls hard into Guimaraes and the ball sails behind.

5.15pm BST

44 min Oh, but Forest counter, a long pass out to Delap allowing him to run at the Arsenal defence, twisting to confuse Konsa before Rice brings him down. Free-kick, just outside the D, left of centre … Williams and McAtee behind it.

5.14pm BST

43 min This is not good. Arsenal lack the quality and profile of players to get quick combinations going and could, I think, do with Lewis-Skelly’s dynamism and desire to commit defenders.

5.11pm BST

40 min At no point of this half has a goal looked likely. But a clever reverse-pass from Rice – more of these, please – sends Havertz into the box, his shot always going wide of the near post.

5.10pm BST

38 min On Havertz, he’s more a big-game striker, I think, good at moving defenders about and a reliable finisher when the pressure is on, than he is a regular centre-forward. His goal record just isn’t good enough and he doesn’t have the pace to threaten the last line; I actually wonder if he might work as an attacking midfielder, because hie has the feet to conjure – when he broke through at Leverkusen, he was more magic man than target man.

Updated at 5.28pm BST

5.08pm BST

37 min Arsenal win a corner out on the right, 25 yards from goal, Rice judges an outswinger into the corridor of uncertainty and Havertz is up … but he mistimes his jump, heading wide.

5.06pm BST

35 min McAtee, celebrating his 24th birthday, curls the corner directly into Raya’s gloves.

5.05pm BST

35 min Good from Delap, Schlager controlling a dropping ball well before the centre-forward bustles through a challenge, his shot from distance deflected behind.

5.04pm BST

33 min “Charles Antaki: ask and you shall absolutely not receive,” writes Sean Orlowicz.

The last few minutes have been better, I think, but Arsenal need to move the ball quicker and stretch the play more. They also lack one v one ability – we saw the same with Man United in one of our early games – which makes it hard when facing a set defence.

5.02pm BST

31 min Of course, as I type, he lofts a fine first-time pass over the top from centre to right – if he did that much more often, we’d not be having the conversation below – but White shanks the eventuating cross behind.

5.01pm BST

30 min Declan Rice has some fantastic attributes, but his work with both Arsenal and England illustrates the difficulty of balancing a midfield with him in. He doesn’t have the technique to take the ball off the defence – Arteta signed Zubimendi partly for that reason – but going forward, there’s not enough quality on the ball. So in games like this one, when there’s not much call for the big-space work at which he excels, an auxiliary attacker like Merino might make more sense.

4.59pm BST

29 min Saka again goes near post, but picks out a defender then, when the ball comes out to Odegaard, his inswinger is easily collects by Sels.

4.58pm BST

28 min Arsenal take a quick throw and Guimaraes wins a corner; he’s starting to influence proceedings.

4.57pm BST

26 min A flat corner and near-post flick causes confusion – classic Arsenal, but from another era – and Gabriel, facing his own goal, backheels, but into Konsa, and Forest clear.

4.56pm BST

25 min Again, the outlet is Saka, whose cross is headed behind for a corner. Last season, this would have the ground going.

4.55pm BST

24 min The buzz you get from knowing you’re good, though, is the calmness to know that if you’re patient, secure at the back and keep doing the right things, the chances will come. I’d just like to see a bit more risk in Arsenal’s play, off the ball as much as on it. Rice and Bruno have done almost nothing going forward.

4.54pm BST

23 min So far, not much has happened. Forest will be delighted with that, Arsenal less so. Can they get Calafiori going? His runs from deep are hard to track and might make an extra man in attack.

4.51pm BST

20 min The corner picks out Murillo at the back post; he heads down … and wide, but the flag goes up for a foul of some sort. There’s then a pause as Murillo is bleeding near the corner of his eye, but he’ll be fine.

4.50pm BST

19 min Calafiori is short with a pass back to Gabriel and Ndoye sends Munoz away. His cross is deflected and Delap does well to recycle at the back post, Ndoye, now on the left, shooting wide of the near post … with the help of a defection.

4.48pm BST

18 min And he hits a defender, failing to impart the necessary elevation. Arsenal are one of four sides yet to score from a set-piece this season – and Forest are another.

4.48pm BST

16 min This feels like a Mikel Merino kind of game; his ability to find space and finish is missing from Arsenal’s midfield. Anyhow, Saka slows Williams down, moves away, wears the foul … and that’s a yellow card. A little harsh, but Rice now has a chance to swing over a free-kick.

4.46pm BST

15 min “Last week Forest controlled possession against Palace but messed up so many of their chances in losing at Selhurst Park,” says Eric Peterson. “I actually like Forest’s chances today as much as I did last week. It’s more in their DNA to make the opponent drown in their possession and catch them out on their break, no matter who the manager is. And with Arsenal’s occasional tendency to possess without thinking ahead on how to use it, that could play into Forest’s hands. Unless Arsenal take the lead, in which case please disregard all this.”

Without Gibbs-White, though, that tactic loses a lot of what makes it work: an individual able to make the difference, while also contributing physically. For now, though, they’re defending well.

4.44pm BST

13 min I’m not surprised Glasner insisted Forest deliver him Munoz, who was the batter of his Palace team, stretching and creating. He makes his first run forward, but without any support is easily unloaded.

4.43pm BST

11 min Better from Arsenal, building through the middle and quick pokes from Guimaraes and Odegaard finding Eze … who runs the ball into touch. I get strong Cunha vibes from him: a player better suited to being the man in a less good team rather than operating in concert as part of a system.

Updated at 5.02pm BST

4.40pm BST

10 min A Saka cross is deflected and rears up, arcing under the bar and forcing Sels to claw away, then Arsenal build again.

4.40pm BST

9 min Forest are looking at Delap to pull off or challenge the last line, but does he have the feet for that? I’m not sure.

4.39pm BST

7 min The pattern looks set, Forest sitting back and daring Arsenal to break them down. They need, in mine, to get Guimaraes higher and Odegaard on the ball, but for now are moving the ball wide to try and open opportunities from there.

4.37pm BST

5 min As Arsène Wenger liked to say, an “internal solution”. Meantime, Arsenal probe for gaps the, when Forest clear, Delap puts Konsa under pressure; can you guess what happens next? Yup, he barges through him as cute as Coldplay, and allows the defender to escape a potentially tricky situation with a free-kick.

4.35pm BST

3 min “You mentioned that the Arsenal’s midfield and attack aren’t strong enough,” says Bill Hargreaves. “Any particular areas or ideas for upgrade?”

The midfield is strong enough and, with Odegaard playing well, it probably has just enough guile – even if it lacks goals. Up front, they tried for Vincius, who stopped where he was, opting not to risk on a player they weren’t certain was better than what they have. At some point soon, Dowman will too good to leave out…

4.32pm BST

1 min Forest will, of course, miss Gibbs-White, who, though he’s scored only once this term, is the player who elevates them. Meantime, Odegaard sends Havertz away down the right, but his cross is overhit.

4.30pm BST

1 min Away we go!

4.30pm BST

James Kerry, a young Forest fan who died of a brain tumour, struck up a friendship with Morgan Gibbs-White and is being celebrated with a round of applause. His parents and younger brother are on the touchline; godspeed, people.

4.26pm BST

Our teams are tunnelled … and here they come. Or, as Peter Drury would say, HERE! THEY! COME!

Updated at 5.10pm BST

4.24pm BST

Artetz says your capacity to react to going behind, as Arsenal have in their last three league games, is part of the game. He knows Glasner is an extraordinary manager who’ll have Forest organised, so “you have to insist and insist” – that’s a lovely phrase.

Glasner says Arsenal good at managing space and being patient, waiting for chances. They defend well as a team, but he thinks his team can create two or three chances and see what happens.

4.19pm BST

Email! “I don’t want much from this Arsenal team,” writes Charles Antaki. “All I ask is they score a couple of goals early, dominate the other team into hopeless submission, then entertain us all with a fine sporting display of skill, inventiveness, charisma and more goals. I’ve been watching their games for years, and have ground my teeth through long anxious matches enough times to qualify for a bit of credit in the bank. Winning the league last year was all very well, but I want to sit back and wallow in pure unadulterated enjoyment. Isn’t it about time they did the decent thing?”

They’re trying, but they don’t yet have the class in midfield and attack to take teams apart in that way – especially given that, though the standard at the top of the Prem is relatively low, from immediately below that and all the way to the bottom, it’s never been higher.

4.17pm BST

I’m really looking forward to seeing Calafiori today. The freedom he has to make things happen evidences a developing total footballer – and, on the other side, I think Timber can be a less powerful but more skilful version of the same. I wonder if, at some point, we see Rice drop a bit deeper to make three centre-backs – which might also facilitate the ball-carrying that is his best attacking attribute.

4.13pm BST

How good are Brighton? It’s early to think about a title challenge, but a top-five spot feels realistic – and if give their talent ID Champions League money, you could be talking about something very serious.

4.05pm BST

That said, Arsenal still have plenty of ways to win a scrappy one, the box-crashing of Calafiori and Rice hard to track and, given their physicality, hard to match. And, if things don’t go as planned, there are options on the bench to change things/

4.04pm BST

Forest will want – and probably need – to make this game a mess. If it’s open and played through midfield, Arsenal will open them up because, with the guile they’ve added by buying Guimaraes, along with an in-form Odegaard, they have the ability to exploit space. For that reason, Forest need bodies everywhere, especially in the middle of the pitch, forcing them wide, where Saka might just’ve lost the spring in his acceleration following last season’s achilles injury while, on the other side, Eze isn’t going to go on the outside.

3.58pm BST

Elsewhere, 10-man Sunderland trail Bournemouth 2-0 with seconds remaining, while Brighton have splattered Palace 5-0 to move second above Arsenal, their goal difference +18. Ridiculous behaviour.

3.56pm BST

It’s finished 1-1 at Elland Road.

Related: Leeds United 1-1 Manchester United: Premier League – live reaction

3.55pm BST

Arsenal, meanwhile, will look for Odegaard to make their play, directing attacks with the direction of his passes. Saka will reckon he can get at Murillo, and hit the by-line, with Havertz pulling off for cut-backs, while Eze wanders infield to look for little passes in behind.

3.51pm BST

So where is the game? Forest will look to play into and off Delap; he’ll be looking to pin a centre-back and lay off for McAtee and Ndoye to run at the Arsenal defence. Otherwise, they’ll want Munoz to target White and Williams to attack the space Calafiori vacates when going off on adventures and look to hit Delat the near post. Otherwise, expect to see Delap initiating contact in exchange for some cheap cheers celebrating his pashun.

3.45pm BST

Arsenal, meanwhile, make six changes to the side that handled Lille in midweek, Arteta reaping the benefits of having a full squad built to his specifications.

At the back, Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori replace Jurrien Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly; in midfield, it’s Burno Guimaraes, not Mikel Merino; and in front of him, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz replace Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyökeres.

3.39pm BST

Back to those teams, Forest make two changes the side undressed at Crystal Palace last weekend, Ola Aina and the injured Morgan Gibbs-White dropping out, with Jair Cunha and Nicolás Domínguez coming in. Nikola Milenkovic, absent since the week of September, returns to the bench.

3.35pm BST

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Updated at 3.35pm BST

3.34pm BST

Teams Nottingham Forest (3-4-2-1): Sels ;Jair Cunha, Diomande, Murillo; Muñoz, Schlager, Domínguez, Williams; McAtee, Ndoye; Delap. Subs: John Victor, Sangaré, Hudson-Odoi, Wood, Kalimuendo, Yates, Netz, Milenkovic, Aina.

Arsenal (4-3-3-): Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Guimarães, Rice, Ødegaard; Saka, Eze, Havertz. Subs: Meslier, Mosquera, Timber, Gyökeres, Madueke, Merino, Zubimendi, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman.

Referee: Michael Oliver (Ashington)

3.00pm BST

Preamble Arsenal spent the summer trying to by forwards and rightly so: they lack elite attacking quality, and well though they’ve done over the last few seasons, it has unarguably cost them.

The best summer acquisition though, was not a player, but the Premier League trophy or, more pertinently, the status of champions, also known as freedom. It meant they didn’t need to fritter money on someone they knew at the time wasn’t of the standard they were seeking in the hope they might contribute a key moment or two which pushed them over the edge. Instead, they could attack the season with confidence and without the desperate pressure of flailing failure, developing a style that could made the eyes bleed into a knowing, aggressive flow.

Of course they’re still a magician and matchwinner short but, in the meantime, they’re still much better than they were. These days, a tousing at Brighton can happen to anyone, so what’s of greater significance is the response: a comeback win against a confident and physical Leeds, then a Champions League win with a rotated team. Or put another way, Mikel Smugteta is an even better manager than Mikel Angsteta, and just as freakishly intense.

Forest, meantime, have made a confusing start to the season, decent performances at Liverpool and Villa undermined by home defeats to Leeds and Coventry, the latter then followed last week by a gubbing at Palace. They are surely far too good to become embroiled in a relegation struggle, but the possibility will linger as long as the identity of those who are not remains unclear, while only Spurs have mustered fewer than their five league goals.

All of which makes for some pure, uncut and concentrated “this league” action; let’s get involved.

Kick-off: 4.30pm