'Absurd squad depth!' - Noni Madueke hails Arsenal's elite competition

Arsenal maintained their relentless pursuit of the Premier League title on Saturday, grinding out a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest. The win keeps the Gunners firm in second place, trailing leaders Manchester City by three points.

Noni Madueke, who came off the bench to score the decisive goal, admitted the visitors had to adapt to a physical, direct challenge at the City Ground. 'We had to dig deep, we know it's difficult to come here. A lot of balls in the air and a lot of direct play,' Madueke told BBC Match of the Day.

We knew we would have the lion's share of the ball. Important to be patient and pick your moments and we did that in the end. Noni Madueke

The 24-year-old was particularly vocal about the internal competition under Mikel Arteta. He believes the high quality across the entire squad is a primary reason for their consistency, noting that every player knows they have a part to play, whether starting or finishing the match.

If you look at the quality of our starting XI and bench it's absurd so we know that we're going to start some and finish some and for me it's the same mentality every time. We have elite players, all 20-something players are elite and of the highest level. Noni Madueke

Madueke also credited the team's defensive foundation for the result, emphasizing that the commitment to clean sheets starts from the front. This clinical efficiency in securing narrow wins has become a hallmark of Arteta's Arsenal, who have now recorded 32 Premier League victories by a 1-0 scoreline since December 2019.