Noni Madueke used her time wisely. With about 20 minutes to go until kick-off, Bukayo Saka was seen heading down the Leeds tunnel injured. Tapping him on the shoulder, he was practicing attacking with Arsenal’s other starters.
His place in Arsenal’s starting XI at Elland Road was confirmed within the first 10 minutes, but he registered a goal and an assist around 40 minutes later, his first involvement in a Premier League goal since joining Arsenal from Chelsea.
“He was ready,” Mikel Arteta said of the stand-in winger. “Because you can’t do that in two minutes.
“It paid off today because the way he prepared, the way he was waiting for his opportunity and that affected him a lot.”
Making the most of your time has been the theme of Maduke’s season so far. The winger has been brought in as an option on Arsenal’s left and right sides, but will need patience as Saka and Leandro Trossard fill that role. Opportunities have become limited.
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A knee injury early in his career at Arsenal did not help his development, but shortly after scoring an impressive brace in the Champions League with Club Brugge, he was left on the bench for three consecutive Premier League games.
However, Madueke’s achievements at Arsenal so far have been largely positive after he faced criticism from his own fan base upon joining the club, with many signing a petition against him.
Tuesday, February 3rd 7pm
Kickoff at 8pm
His last-minute call-up to Leeds is not the first time he has made a positive impact on short notice. In the Champions League, he scored a quick goal off the bench against Bayern Munich.
A closer look at his numbers in the Premier League gives a positive impression. No player in the Premier League averages more touches inside the opposition penalty area than Madueke. Madueke also ranks high for successful dribbles, penetrations into the penalty area and accurate crosses into the box.
Noni Maduke’s performance per 90 points in the Premier League this season
Another area where Madueke is contributing is through set pieces. They also rank first in the Premier League for big chances created from set-pieces at 90 per cent.
His goals and assists at Elland Road came from dead-ball situations, but he is also excellent at taking the lead, winning more corners per 90 minutes than any other top-flight player this term.
Madueke’s corner kick was Arsenal’s sixth after just 36 minutes, with Madueke helping them win three of those games. Leeds manager Daniel Farke admitted after the match, “Set-pieces are a big theme for them. We conceded too many goals.”
Maduke’s performances at Elland Road showed him to be a threat not only in dead play but also in one-on-one duels. It was a performance typical of Saka.
Many felt it was a mistake for Maduke to go to Arsenal with Saka. There was also a feeling that Chelsea had made a significant profit from selling him, especially with the arrival of Estevao and his position.
However, Maduke has proven to be a more regular threat in the penalty box than not only the young Brazilian, but also other wingers Chelsea invested in in the summer, Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens.
Arsenal have faced Chelsea twice this season, but Maduke has never had a proper opportunity to play against his former club. Although he came on as a substitute in the final stages of the league match in November, he did not have a chance to play in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
All eyes will be on Maduke for the second leg, with Saka still doubtful about his participation, although manager Mikel Arteta described his “cheating” as “not that serious”.
This is a platform for Madueke to show not only why Arsenal were right to sign him, but also why Chelsea were foolish to let him go in the first place.
Watch the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg between Arsenal and Chelsea live on Sky Sports, kick-off at 8pm on Tuesday
