LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Arsenal are gaining a reputation as slow starters this season, but their ability to find a way through tight games helped them earn a 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest on Sunday and keep their Premier League title defence on track.
Arsenal's total of 11 league goals from seven games is the second-lowest in the top six, eight behind leaders Manchester City and a whopping 12 behind third-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.
Eight of those 11 strikes have come after halftime and they again struggled for attacking fluency in the opening 45 minutes against Forest before substitute Noni Madueke's deflected 80th-minute strike secured the points.
The goal came from Arsenal's first shot on target and kept Mikel Arteta's side in touch with table-toppers City.
"The longer the game goes on, they have more belief. You have to take more risks, and that's when the game can break," an upbeat Arteta told Sky Sports.
Madueke said Arsenal might not have won such a game last season but now possessed greater belief and resilience.
"At times maybe last year, this game might have not gone as it did for us in the end, but I think we got that extra belief, that extra mentality now," he said.
"We know we're the champions, and we know we can pull out the bag wherever we go, and just delighted that we're able to do it today."
Arsenal looked toothless in the first half and although they were sharper after the break, it still took until the 80th minute for Madueke to produce the effort that finally broke the hosts' resistance.
The 24-year-old, who came off the bench at the break to replace Eberechi Eze, said Arsenal's squad depth was proving to be one of their main strengths this season.
"If you look at the quality of our starting 11 and bench it's absurd, so we know that we're going to start some and finish some (games) and for me it's the same mentality every time, I just want to create or score.Amazing feeling (to score), but I feel better about the win," he said.
"We have elite players, all 20-something players are elite and of the highest level. It's great to have that type of competition, you know on the bench you're ready to have an impact."
(Reporting by Philip O'ConnorEditing by Toby Davis)
