_**Noni Madueke’s £48.5m switch from Chelsea was greeted by reports that thousands of Gooners had signed a petition insisting they deserve better than the winger \[Jay Patel/SPP\]**_
THE stage is set. Noni Madueke looks destined to be handed a golden opportunity to silence his Arsenal critics once and for all.
It might not seem like it now, with all the euphoria swirling around the Emirates following the Gunners’ perfect start to the new Premier League season. But weeks before Mikel Arteta’s statement signings of Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze, there were gray clouds forming in N5.
Madueke’s £48.5m switch across the capital from Chelsea was greeted by reports that thousands of Gooners had signed a petition insisting that they deserved better than the 23-year-old winger.
#NoToMadueke was trending on social media, and murals around Ashburton Grove were vandalised with “Arteta out” as support for the Arsenal boss reached a new low.
Such reactions are an embarrassing chapter in the club’s rich history – hopefully generated by only a small minority of so-called fans.
Madueke received a much warmer reception on Saturday when he was handed his first Arsenal start in the league; and he looked lively on the left as the Gunners romped to a 5-0 victory over Leeds United.
But it was during a short 10-minute stint in his more favoured position on the right wing when Madueke really started to shine after Bukayo Saka departed through injury.
With Saka now facing a month on the sidelines with a hamstring strain, Madueke is expected to fill the void – starting this Sunday when the Gunners title credentials will be tested by champions Liverpool.
Arteta was in very little doubt about just what his “new weapon” will bring to his team ahead of the campaign.
He said: “You can tell the quality that he’s got. Every time he’s on the ball, in and around the box one v one, the ball lands on a player in our colours inside the box and that’s a massive quality to have.
“He can play on the left and right, he doesn’t care, so he’s a big weapon for us.”
We’re only two games into the new season, and already Arsenal have a number of injury issues ahead of their trip to Anfield this weekend.
The club’s medical team are still assessing whether Kai Havertz will need knee surgery, while Ben White and Christian Norgaard are both battling to recover from knocks in time to at least be on the bench.
Martin Odegaard was forced off in the first half against Leeds with a shoulder injury, but there was renewed hope that the Gunners captain will be available to face Liverpool when he was named in Norway’s squad ahead of next week’s World Cup qualifiers.
If Odegaard is back in time to face Liverpool, then Arteta will turn his attention to solving his next fun challenge: fitting Eze into his team following his £60m summer switch from Crystal Palace.
“I think he has the capacity to create these magic moments,” said Arteta. “He can do it in different positions, different situations.
“He’s got flair; he’s got that charisma as well about him that is very contagious, and let’s use it in the right way.
“He can play in a lot of different positions.
“We know that he can play as an attacking midfielder, right or left. He plays shifted off the left as well. He’s very comfortable there.
“We’ll gather information again the moment he’s on that pitch and starts to link and feel a connection with people. I’m sure we will find the right place for him.”