The Gunners started the tie on the front foot with Forest happy to keep all of their players behind the ball.

An early Bukayo Saka cross was deflected off the underside of the bar and forced Matz Sels to claw the ball away.

David Raya then made a strong one-handed save low to his right to keep out a good Dan Ndoye effort after a promising attack from the home team after as loss of possession in midfield from Riccardo Calafiori.

Jair Cunha headed a dangerous Saka cross from the right out for a corner, and only a scramble in the box and last gasp block from Ousmane Diomande kept the ball from sneaking over the Forest goalline after a Gabriel backheel.

The home team were growing in confidence and some strong work in midfield from Xaver Schlager and Liam Delap saw the latter get a shot away, although his effort was deflected wide of the goal.

Kai Havertz was off target with a powerful header from a Declan Rice free-kick in the 37th minute as Arsenal looked for a breakthrough.

Havertz was then wide with a close-range effort from a tight angle after being fed with a neat pass by Rice.

Delap did well to win a free-kick in a really good position on the edge of the Arsenal area with just 90 seconds of the first half remaining, but Neco Williams could only fire his rocket of a shot into the head of Bruno Guimaraes.

Mikel Arteta introduced Madueke at half-time for Eberechi Eze as he looked for an improved second half showing from his charges.

His first involvement was a positive touch forward to Calafiori but the move ultimately broke down and nearly resulted in a Forest goal after Delap's cross from the right was inches away from being poked home by Williams.

McAtee wasted a 49th minute free-kick after a handball from Havertz, as he blasted over from 25-yards.

Madueke weaved in off the left but was blocked as he looked to get a shot away, before being booked for an overzealous foul on Ben White as he tried to win the ball back.

Delap was forced just too wide by Gabriel to get a clean shot away following another fast break forward from Forest as the action began to swing from end to end in a tie that neither side really looked like winning.

Forest won a succession of corners that they failed to take advantage of, while Gabriel had to be at his best to stop Ndoye from racing through on goal after 63 minutes, as he latched onto a good ball from Murillo.

With Arsenal still struggling to find an opener, Arteta made a triple substitution with the introduction of Mikel Merino, Viktor Gyokeres and Jurrien Timber on for Guimaraes, Havertz and White.

Delap make a strong run down the heart of the Arsenal defence but couldn't get any power onto his shot, while Rice really should have hit the target from inside the area after an excellent cut back from Timber, but the Gunners' midfielder blazed over the crossbar.

Forest exchanged Ndoye and Nicola Dominguez for Arnaud Kalimuendo and Ibrahim Sangare in a bid to steal all three points.

But it was Arsenal who looked the more likely goalscorers in the dying minutes after a succession of crosses that needed clearing before Madueke cut in from the left-hand side and fired into the back of the net, via a wicked deflection off Cunha that left Sels with no chance.

Buoyed by their 80th minute goal, the Gunners continued to attack, and Merino had a shot blocked by Sangare before Timber nearly got a shot away from close range ahead of a smart clearance from Delap.

With a goal desperately needed, Forest brought on forwards Callum Hudson-Odoi and Chris Wood for McAtee and Cunha but Arsenal were able to see the game out for a vital three points on the road.

The result saw Arsenal end the weekend in second place on the league standings with 18 points from seven games - three adrift of leaders Manchester City.

Durban City one step closer to CAF Confederation Cup qualification