Mikel Arteta described Noni Madueke’s opening goal in Arsenal’s Champions League win over Club Brugge as a “magical moment”, but as he and everyone knows, it didn’t come out of nowhere. It was the result of hours of repetition on the training pitch.
Madueke has been working hard to hone his game, training privately under the supervision of a personal skills coach to supplement his club training. About four years ago, as a teenager at PSV Eindhoven, he sought the help of a coach for the first time while trying to make the most of his talent.
The first training sessions took place during the summer 2021 off-season, after which Maduke returned to PSV and scored six goals in the first eight games of the season, including a double for the Dutch national team against Ajax in the Community Shield.
“I think he was hooked from then on,” Saul Isaacson-Hurst, the coach in question, explained to Sky Sports. “It was intensive work, but I think he really saw the benefits of it.”
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The Football Task Force’s reaction to Maduke’s first goal against Club Brugge
While Madueke was at PSV, they only trained together during the summer, but since returning to London they have become more regular, picking up where they left off after a knee injury, first with Chelsea and now with Arsenal.
“From my point of view, a player who is not only talented, but who works hard and wants to improve, that’s what you want,” Isaacson-Hurst added. He describes Maduke as a “monster of spirituality”. The winger made a similar impression at Arsenal.
His £52m move from Chelsea was met with skepticism from some supporters, but he quickly convinced the doubters.
“It lasted a very short period of time,” Arteta said recently.
The Arsenal manager added that the negativity was “like fuel” for him.
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Mikel Arteta recently explained how the negative feedback surrounding Madueke’s contract made him more determined to help the winger succeed
Madueke was arguably Arsenal’s best performer in the early part of the season and immediately provided an excellent replacement for the constantly overworked Bukayo Saka. His return to fitness means Saka’s workload is now manageable without a significant drop in quality.
Maduke has started two of Arsenal’s last three games, while Saka has started one. They directly contributed to 4 goals during that match. “That’s what we want,” Arteta said. That is the power of real competition for the playing field.
“We’re playing every three days and it’s really good for the players to have that freshness and bite and understand that they have to perform at that level and that this is the standard that we have set,” Arteta added on Wednesday.
The depth that Maduke adds to the right side of Arsenal’s attack is something Arsenal have lacked so far, but that’s not all he brings. Madueke has work to do to match Saka’s consistency in terms of final product, but he also has different qualities.
Much of that was clearly visible against Club Brugge, especially his first goal, when he picked up the ball in an innocuous position near the halfway line, evaded two defenders and smashed home a stunning finish from long range.
It was another example of the directness that both Arteta and England manager Thomas Tuchel have talked about. Isakson-Hurst, on the other hand, highlighted specific things that set him apart, and that can be seen in the way he frequently gets around defenders.
“If you’re a wide player in the Premier League now, you need speed, but speed on the ball is different,” he explains. “A lot of players can run, but Noni is unbelievable in terms of his ability to move the ball with his speed.
“He can run as fast with the ball as he can without it. That’s a very difficult skill to develop. His combination of speed and technique and obviously power with the ball is very difficult for defenders to deal with.”
Maduke did not have to reach inside the opposition box in the opening game against Club Brugge. But that’s another area where he excels. According to GeniusIQ tracking data, only Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku has had more carries into the box per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season.
It reflects the threat Maduke poses, and it goes back to his preparation and the many hours the club and Isakson Hurst worked alone on the training pitch.
“Everything we do is creating opportunities to move forward, whether it’s in and around the box, shooting or finishing practice, or shooting, crossing or passing,” Isakson-Hurst said.
“The real aim of my methodology is to try to break down the game into game-changing moments, such as working on a move through the line to get into the box, creating an opportunity for an assist or ideally a shot on goal.”
The numbers are also proof of Mr. Madueke’s inexorability.
“As a forward player, you have to get on the ball and make things happen,” Isakson-Hurst added.
“It doesn’t always work out. Look at Lionel Messi’s stats, even if he loses the ball. But you have to be able to get back up again. That’s part of Noni’s mentality and that’s what we’re seeing from him now.”
After being named man of the match against Club Brugge, Arteta presented Madueke with his next challenge. “The key is consistency,” he said. “We need to have those standards and play consistently.
“It’s not a game. It’s two games, three games. Can we do 10 games in a row every three days? That’s the level we have to reach.”
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Maduke, who joined Arsenal from Chelsea in the summer, returned to Stamford Bridge and was encouraged by his former team-mates.
Madueke was unable to reach that level at his former club Chelsea, with Enzo Maresca sometimes questioning the consistency of his application. However, there is little cause for concern for Arteta on that front, and recent signs on the pitch have been encouraging.
Maduke contributed three goals in just 240 minutes since returning from injury last month, ultimately providing the only thing missing from his performance earlier this season.
His mission to continue in the same vein will depend on regular playing time, and it helps that he is an option on the left as well as the right. The form of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard suggests that Saka is not the only player to benefit from the increased competition introduced by Madueke.
Madueke is used on both sides at Arsenal.
“I think at this level, individual players need to step up and do something different if you want to win games,” Arteta added. Maduke is doing just that. And Arsenal are feeling the benefits.
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