Chelsea fans have slammed one star for their performance in the Blues' Club World Cup opener against LAFC, with former midfielder John Obi Mikel also critical of his efforts. Enzo Maresca's men got off to a winning start thanks to Pedro Neto's first-half finish and Enzo Fernandez's late second , though their overall display was far from overly convincing in the 2-0 victory.
The Premier League side started with a strong XI that included the likes of Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer, while Liam Delap came off the bench to make his first appearance since joining the club from Ipswich Town. However, it was another attacking option that fans turned their attention towards after an underwhelming showing.
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John Obi Mikel Slams Noni Madueke's Performance vs LAFC
The former Chelsea midfielder was unimpressed with what he saw
Speaking at half-time of DAZN's coverage of the CWC clash, Mikel shared his displeasure of Noni Madueke's first-half display. The England international, who has been linked with a departure from Stamford Bridge in recent times, started on the left-hand side but struggled to make the same impact as goalscorer Neto on the opposite flank.
On the winger's performance, Mikel stated:
"I’ve been kinda frustrated with him [Madueke]. He’s had the ball, he hasn’t gone past his man. He needs to clean that up.
Unfortunately for the attacker, the second half only brought more of the same. The 23-year-old was substituted after 64 minutes, having made just a single key pass and completing only one cross. He also managed to complete just one successful dribble and came out on top in only 50% of his duels.
As a result, fans were quick to side with Mikel's sentiments and vent their frustration with the former PSV star.
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Chelsea Fans Slam Madueke
The winger was criticised after his performance
Noni Madueke in action for Chelsea
Taking to social media, several supporters slammed Madueke, with one saying: "Madueke posts all of those finishing training clips and goes backwards whenever he has a chance to score I’m crying."
A second stated: "Madueke bro leave my club," while a third asserted: "Madueke is NOT a left-winger, man. We’ve had all the ball but not forcing the issue enough; very boring and repetitive. Lavia breaking lines only positive so far."
A fourth claimed: "Neto you won the battle, Madueke ship your bags," while a fifth described Madueke's showing by saying: "This Madueke stinker is truly something."
All statistics courtesy of Sofascore - accurate as of 16/06/2025.
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