When Bukayo Saka hobbled off in the opening minutes of Arsenal’s trip to Bayern Munich two weeks ago, supporters feared the worst.
Mikel Arteta’s backline has hardly been firing in recent years and the idea of being without their most consistent attacker was a huge worry.
Well, fear not, the Gunners have found a solution to their woes and it has come from an unlikely source: Mr Noni Madueke.
Signed from Chelsea to the tune of £52m back in the summer of 2025, the winger is finally coming of age at the Emirates Stadium and has demonstrated that he is an able deputy to Saka.
At Anfield last Sunday, his work ethic was top-notch. He caused Milos Kerkez problems down the right-hand side too. Against Slavia Prague, he then netted a much-deserved goal.
How Noni Madueke destroyed Slavia Prague
This version of Madueke is terrific to watch. Last season’s was not so much.
Fortunately, right when Arteta needs it most, the 24-year-old is now coming into his own. While the forward’s outing in Czechia was not his finest for the club, it was certainly up there as one of his best.
Last season, the England international would not have scored the goal he did. Sent in behind by Viktor Gyokeres, Madueke did all of the right things. He got his feet in the correct order, calmly ran onto the ball and then tucked it through the goalkeeper’s legs with his weaker foot.
It was assured, it was clinical, it was ruthless. Those are three words you would not have associated with the former Chelsea man last term.
Alas, Madueke is a different player and he showed it on Wednesday night. He had the joint-most shots on target (2) in the game, had the second-most touches in the opposition box (5), and won more ground duels than any other player on the pitch (7).
Truthfully, it was a surprise to see him last 89 minutes. With Saka out, Madueke is now one of the first names on the teamsheet and they need him fresh for Hull City on Saturday afternoon.
Madueke vs Slavia Prague | |
|---|---|
Minutes played | 90 |
Touches | 40 |
Accurate passes | 18/22 (82%) |
Chances created | 1 |
Shots | 2 |
Expected goals (xG) | 0.20 |
Successful dribbles | 3 |
Ball recoveries | 4 |
Ground duels won | 7/12 |
Aerial duels won | 1/1 |
Alas, it was a testament to just how much Arteta trusts him right now that he played the majority of the clash.
How Madueke has improved since last season
When Arsenal signed Madueke last year, there were protests. Not another Chelsea reject, fans bemoaned. It was understandable to see the frustration.
After all, the young attacker had hardly set the world alight at Stamford Bridge and the Blues were quite happy to see him depart.
But, there was always a sense that Madueke had some untapped potential and that he could explode under Arteta. While it may well be a little premature to say he is exploding now, he’s certainly showing some positive signs.
Across some vital metrics for a winger, the England man has really improved his game. He’s now more efficient and more assertive with his actions.
Crucially for a player deputising for Saka, his creativity has improved.
The difference in his chance creation output this season has been staggering. He is now producing 3.20 chances per 90, a metric that ranks him among the finest players in the Premier League.
For context, only Rayan Cherki (3.42) and Marcus Rashford (3.32) have created more chances per 90 in the top-flight throughout 2026/27.
As a result, it looks as if Arsenal are finally getting their money’s worth here.
Madueke is bad news for Arsenal’s new Jack Wilshere
Madueke’s form prompts an interesting discussion. What does it mean for Saka? What does it mean for Max Dowman? What does it mean for Ethan Nwaneri?
Well, for the former, once he does return from injury, he cannot now just expect to waltz back into the starting lineup. For Dowman, it means more first-team opportunities may not be forthcoming. For Nwaneri, the future looks even bleaker.
The teenager has arguably been the biggest loser of Madueke’s arrival. After all, when Saka tore his hamstring in 2024/25, it was the Hale Ender who benefitted most.
Nwaneri enjoyed a breathtaking first full campaign with the senior side, scoring nine goals in all competitions as he earned comparisons to Lionel Messi and Jack Wilshere.
Speaking in 2023, the manager said: “There’s something unique that he’s got that I really liked from the beginning: his ability to take the ball in tight areas and to escape a little bit like Jack Wilshere used to do.”
Indeed, we saw that firsthand when Nwaneri first properly broke into the team. Sadly, since that jaw-dropping campaign, he has not lived up to his potential.
That is not totally the player’s fault, however. Madueke’s arrival meant that the youngster didn’t receive many minutes on the flanks. Arsenal also view his future as an attacking midfielder. Eberechi Eze’s arrival caused Nwaneri problems in that regard too.
He did not start a single Premier League game last season and was consequently sent out on loan to Marseille, where, following Roberto De Zerbi’s sacking, he could not get into the team. He started only three times in Ligue 1.
While Nwaneri did make an impression for the Gunners in pre-season, notably scoring against Borussia Dortmund, he is now actually on loan with Dortmund in Germany.
He’s enjoying a better time in the Bundesliga, where he has started on four occasions. Yet, the teen has not scored and only has one assist.
Such form will hardly be catching the eye of Arteta and with his long-term future at Arsenal already in doubt, the form of Madueke may well serve to be the final nail in the coffin for Nwaneri.
Supporters won’t like to see the back of one of their own, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see how the £40k-per-week earner ever becomes a regular under Arteta. He will likely have to leave in 2027 as a result.
Source: www.footballfancast.com
