Arsenal came from behind to beat Leeds 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium today.
It wasn’t a pretty performance to say the least, particularly in attack, but the Premier League champions managed to grind out a difficult win in the early kick-off.
Mikel Arteta’s side were particularly flat in attack, despite boasting fairly solid xG numbers. The last 25 minutes or so really flattered the performance, largely thanks to Bruno Guimaraes’ match-winning cameo.
Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz both had poor showings, while Martin Odegaard had a mixed bag of a game too. Their brightest attacker on the day was one most Arsenal fans wouldn’t have expected to start — Noni Madueke.
Mikel Arteta says Noni Madueke deserved to play because of how well he has trained
Arteta opted to start Madueke on the left wing in the absence of Christos Tzolis, despite many anticipating Eberechi Eze to fill the void. Speaking after the game, he explained exactly why.
“Noni deserved the chance he got and he grabbed it with both hands. In training he has been the best player in the last 10 days. Every time he had the ball he looked a threat.”
Noni Madueke of Arsenal celebrate with Bukayo Saka after scoring goal during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Arsenal and Wigan.
Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
That’s as clear a message as a manager can send, not only to Madueke but to Eze too — and every other player in the squad, for that matter. Form and application on the training pitch will only increase your chances of getting minutes in the league under Arteta.
And to be fair to Madueke, he delivered on the day. He created the most chances of any player in the game (three) and registered the most touches in the opposition box of anyone on the pitch (eight).
In a largely flat Arsenal performance in the first hour, he was arguably their brightest attacking presence throughout. He was direct, willing to run in behind and made good decisions on the ball when his teammates couldn’t say the same.
His Ipswich Carabao Cup performance hinted at this level. Today, against Premier League opposition, he backed it up, and it sends a clear message to Eze, who didn’t even get on the pitch.
Tzolis is expected to be out for around four weeks, leaving the left wing position well and truly up for grabs. At the moment, it might well be Madueke’s to lose.