Former Chelsea star Noni Madueke faced a hostile reception upon his return to Stamford Bridge. The crowd booed the winger, prompting a reaction from Cole Palmer. Madueke had spent two seasons at Chelsea after being signed from PSV in January 2023 for a £29million deal. The England international scored 20 goals in 92 appearances before he left for Arsenal, Chelsea's London rivals.
Chelsea made a significant profit when Madueke moved to the Gunners during their successful Club World Cup campaign. Mikel Arteta's team paid a hefty £52m for his services. The match was a heated one as league leaders Arsenal went head-to-head with Chelsea, who are currently in second place. Madueke came onto the field after 57 minutes, replacing Gabriel Martinelli.
Madueke's return was met with a harsh response. The 23-year-old was consistently booed, much to the delight of Chelsea's star player, Palmer.
Palmer, who was named among the substitutes by Enzo Maresca, has been absent since September due to a groin injury and a broken toe. The former Manchester City player didn't make it onto the pitch but was seen warming up on the sideline as Chelsea's fans booed Madueke.
Social media footage shows Palmer turning towards the crowd and nodding emphatically in approval.
Palmer wasn't the only player seemingly targeting Madueke. After the Arsenal winger fell to the ground following a challenge from Enzo Fernandez, he was subjected to a vocal onslaught.
Following a successful clearance, Fernandez and Marc Cucurella celebrated by shouting in the face of Madueke, who was sat on the pitch as his former team-mates made their feelings known.
When the final whistle blew, Madueke received a warmer response. Chelsea captain Reece James embraced the winger as the match ended in a draw.
Despite having an advantage, Maduke was unable to help his team secure a victory against 10-man Arsenal, resulting in a draw.
Arteta commented on the match, saying: "First of all, I think it was a proper London derby. It was really tense, and you could sense from the beginning that every duel, every action, has something on it.
"Two teams very willing to win, and not much football. A lot of stops, free-kicks, yellow cards, so not a lot of fluidity. But obviously after the sending-off of [Moises] Caicedo, we wanted to settle the game. We didn't manage to do that - we had four more yellow cards, and those players were obviously targeted in order to even the game in terms of numbers."