Arsenal v Wigan Athletic - Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round
Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
Arsenal didn’t have a shot on target at the City Ground until the 80th minute on Sunday, but one was enough to beat Nottingham Forest.
At half-time, Mikel Arteta took Eberechi Eze off the left wing, wanting a more direct option to stretch Forest’s back five. It paid off ten minutes from time, when substitute Noni Madueke cut inside and hit a shot that deflected off Jair Cunha and into the net.
Christos Tzolis is out with a hamstring problem, and after Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard were both sold in the summer, the left wing has become a problem position this season. Madueke may well be best positioned to take that role, having now played there in successive Premier League games, and his goal at Forest puts him in rare company.
Noni Madueke’s away record is unmatched in Premier League history
As BBC Sport pointed out, Noni Madueke has now scored 13 of his 17 Premier League goals away from home. That’s 76%, the highest away ratio of any player in Premier League history with at least 15 goals.
All four of his league goals for Arsenal since joining from Chelsea in the summer of 2025 have come on the road. He also hit the highest top speed of anyone on the pitch at Forest, at 33.1 km/h.
Arteta has noticed a change in him since the international break. “He’s in a good moment,” he said after the game. “I think after the break he’s showing something else, another level of anger, another level of conviction as well in his actions and he’s becoming now decisive in matches, which is what we expect from a player like him.”
Madueke was signed mainly to provide cover for Bukayo Saka on the right, but Arteta doesn’t see the switch as a problem. “Noni is a player that doesn’t really mind left or right,” he said. “He’s played many more minutes on the right side but at the moment the team needs him [on the left] as well, and he’s doing really well.”
Against Leeds, he created more chances than anyone on the pitch and had the most touches in the opposition box. On the left, his angles are more limited, which forces him into quicker decisions in the final third.
It could also open the door for Max Dowman. With Madueke on the left, the 16-year-old becomes the natural backup to Saka on the right, which could mean more minutes for him. He was an unused substitute at Forest, but the right wing looks like his most realistic route into the team for now.
Madueke’s record could come in handy over the next few weeks. Four of Arsenal’s next five games are away, starting with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, and Madueke will hope his winner at Forest has earned him a start there.