Noni Madueke Rising in Importance for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta Praises His Commitment
Arsenal’s Noni Madueke is making significant strides in his performance, catching the attention of manager Mikel Arteta, who attributes the winger’s recent success to his proactive mindset when opportunities were limited.
Madueke has responded positively to a period of limited playing time by enhancing his fitness and earning a more prominent role within the team. Arteta highlights that this growth stems from Madueke’s own commitment, while acknowledging that an injury to Bukayo Saka has also played a part in his development.
During the most recent international break, instead of taking a break, he opted to train in Portugal to improve his condition. “He’s a great example for the rest of the group because before the first international break he wasn’t playing,” Arteta stated.
What Madueke did during that time paid off; he trained intensively to return in better shape and quickly got back into the swing of things.
The progress has become evident in his on-field contributions. In a recent match against Hull City, Madueke was instrumental in setting up the winning goal, which came from a rebound after a shot he took was saved by Konstantinos Tzolakis.
This goal secured a 1-0 victory for Arsenal, and Madueke’s individual performance reflected his influence throughout the match. He succeeded in six of his eight dribble attempts, registered four shots, and had a match-high 14 touches within the opposing box.
Arteta noted that Madueke is playing with increased confidence, which is evident as he takes on defenders more assertively. “You can see now he is full of confidence and trying things and getting past players, and he’s impacting games with goals and assists,” Arteta added.
With Saka sidelined, Madueke’s role has expanded, showcasing his abilities from the right flank. However, Arteta sees room for further enhancement in Madueke’s performance.
“He knew he had three clear chances to score,” Arteta commented. “He contributed and impacted the action for the goal for Martin, but there are still margins we can work on, to make him more efficient.”
