The sign of champions? That was the verdict Noni Madueke gave at full-time after Arsenal had just beaten Nottingham Forest 1-0.
The City Ground is never an easy place to go, and the Tricky Trees certainly made life difficult for the Gunners.
In truth, despite having far less of the ball, the hosts looked the more likely to score and perhaps should have come away from this one with all three points.
Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Alas, in classic Arsenal fashion, they won 1-0. As they relied upon a week ago, it was another substitute who came up trumps, Madueke slamming the ball home via a deflection with just ten minutes left.
Why Arsenal struggled against Nottingham Forest
This was a game that told the story of Arsenal's season; they didn't have enough in the final third.
Indeed, for a third time in the space of a week, Mikel Arteta's side looked light in attack. They came into this one without Greek winger Christos Tzolis again and once more, they didn't get much from their left winger.
Eberechi Eze was dragged off at half-time having had a really shoddy evening on the River Trent. He completed just 69% of his passes, didn't create a key pass and also failed to have a shot.
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Not the first time Eze disappointed, and on this occasion, it was particularly worrying. In midweek, the Englishman had scored against Lille but he never looked like he would break the deadlock on Sunday.
It played a part in another underwhelming display in the final third from the Premier League champions. As they did until Bruno Guimaraes came on against Leeds and as they did until Bukayo Saka appeared against Lille, everything was far too slow and too laboured in the final third.
Arsenal only had one shot on target against Forest and while they made it count with Madueke rifling the ball home, it was a damning indictment of this team.
The north Londoners may well go on to win the league again but they will struggle to rival Manchester City without finding more firepower.
Based on how this campaign has played out so far, it beggars belief that Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli were both allowed to leave over the summer with only one replacement coming in.
Arsenal did try to sign reinforcements. They pushed for Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior. How they could have done with those two on Sunday evening.
Instead, they will be made to rue a summer transfer window in which not a lot went right.
Arsenal's biggest underperformers vs Nottingham Forest
Arsenal appear to be stuck in a familiar cycle. Last term it was a case of Trossard starting one game before Martinelli started the next. Now, it's either Madueke or Eze. Both have really struggled to cement a role since arriving but perhaps this game has now given the former a chance to kick on.
Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
He transformed the game in the second period and was ultimately the match winner at the City Ground. The strike took a big deflection but in a game where those on the away team failed to have many shots, you have to credit the winger for doing something a little bit different.
For Eze, that cameo from Madueke was not good news. He will never thrive on the left flank and as a result, his time at Arsenal may well come to a natural end next summer. He has not been consistent enough since arriving from Crystal Palace for £67.5m in the summer of 2025.
Still, the England international was not the only player who deserved criticism for their performances. Kai Havertz cut an isolated figure at the top end of the pitch. He had two shots, none of which were on target, while he only won three of his seven duels.
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The German has long been the player who knits things together in attack but he has not been good enough for a number of weeks now.
Martin Odegaard is another who has reverted to type. In the early stages of the campaign, the skipper looked back to his best. He had scored four goals in his first five games but now hasn't found the net in his last six outings.
His performance vs Forest was perhaps his worst of the season to date. In truth, Odegaard simply has too many games like this.
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Eze & Odegaard vs Forest
Stats
Mins played
Key passes
xA
Shots
Touches
Successful dribbles
Possession lost
Duels won
Against a low block, Arteta is crying out for a maverick to change the game, a player to carve open the defence.
Odegaard is certainly the most creative player in the squad but he didn't assert himself on the match at all. He was lacking in inspiration when his teammates needed it most.
Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
The 27-year-old carved out just one key pass, didn't have a shot and he lost possession 15 times. He covered the most distance in the game but that isn't really what you need in a match like this. He has plenty of energy, sure, but he didn't do much with possession. He was also feeble in the duel, winning just 25% of his battles.
The captain is unlikely to be dropped, particularly with Bayern Munich to come on Wednesday night, but he must improve quickly and rediscover the levels that made him one of English football's form players during the opening weeks of the season.