Super Eagles defender Ola Aina was an unused substitute as Nottingham Forest lost 1-0 to Arsenal at the City Ground. Substitute Noni Madueke’s 80th-minute goal was the only one of a scrappy Premier League afternoon.
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Ola Aina watched from the bench for the full 90 minutes on Sunday as Nottingham Forest lost 1-0 to Arsenal at the City Ground. Noni Madueke’s 80th-minute goal settled a tight, scrappy Premier League game.
The Super Eagles defender has featured five times for Forest this season and picked up three yellow cards along the way. Sunday gave him no chance to add to either tally. New Bet9ja users can look at the YOHAIG welcome offer before the next round of Premier League fixtures.
Forest’s disciplined 3-4-2-1 shape frustrated Arsenal from the start. The visitors had plenty of the ball but struggled to break down the hosts before the break, and Kai Havertz headed narrowly wide from a Declan Rice delivery.
Arsenal didn’t register a shot on target until the 80th minute. Mikel Arteta responded at half-time by replacing Eberechi Eze with Madueke, then sent on Viktor Gyokeres and Mikel Merino midway through the second half.
The changes finally worked. Madueke collected a pass from Rice, cut in from the left and unleashed a powerful drive that took a deflection off Jair Cunha and beat Matz Sels. It was Arsenal’s only effort on target all afternoon.
Forest pushed hard for an equaliser late on. Chris Wood broke clear in the 89th minute but took too long to shoot and was snuffed out, and Murillo’s effort flew just wide. Arteta said afterwards that his side had to earn the win right up to the last second.
The result puts Arsenal back in second place, three points behind leaders Manchester City. Fans tracking the title race can scan Bet9ja’s Premier League market before this week’s fixtures.
For Forest, it’s a worrying place to be. They are now in the relegation zone under Oliver Glasner, and they were without the injured Morgan Gibbs-White.
Can Aina force his way back into Glasner’s plans? He’ll have to, because a struggling side needs every option it has. Forest face Ipswich on Friday, October 23, and Arsenal meet Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Super Eagles fans following Aina’s season can check the latest Bet9ja promo code before Friday’s game.
📌 Did You Know?
- Arsenal went the first 70 minutes without a single shot on target, according to match reports, and their only effort on target was the winner.
- Madueke was booked in the 53rd minute, just eight minutes after coming on at half-time, yet still ended the game as Player of the Match.
- Arsenal are the defending Premier League champions, and Sunday’s win moved them to within three points of Manchester City.
- Forest were also without Morgan Gibbs-White, their injured creative midfielder, for the Arsenal game.
- Aina joined Forest from Torino in 2023, and he has been one of the club’s regular defenders since.
- The 1-0 scoreline at the City Ground is the opposite of last season’s visit, when Forest and Arsenal played a goalless draw in February 2025.
