"The way he prepares": Mikel Arteta blown away by £48m Arsenal star with four dribbles vs Leeds
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on Noni Madueke following the club’s 4-0 win over Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Gunners went into the game at Elland Road under some pressure following three winless league matches, including a demoralising 3-2 loss to Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.
They provided the perfect response with a convincing 4-0 win. The margin of the victory should have been wider. Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus were guilty of squandering big chances.
Noni Madueke was handed the man of the match for his vital goal contributions in the opening half. He delivered a sumptuous cross for Martin Zubimendi to open the scoring with a fine header.
Before the break, his sublime ball from a corner contributed to Karl Darlow’s own goal.
The England international was initially named among the substitutes’ bench but was surprisingly drafted into the starting line-up on short notice after Bukayo Saka’s hip injury in the warm-up.
The 23-year-old fully capitalised on the situation to register his first two goal contributions in the league for the Gunners. After the game, Arteta heaped praise on the player’s professionalism.
The Spanish tactician said that Madueke was ‘certainly ready’ and made a ‘difference’ for the team.
He told Arsenal.com: “We keep telling them to be ready because the most unexpected moments are going to be thrown in the battle, and it happened in the warm-up. [Noni] was certainly ready. The way he prepares every day is fantastic, and he made a difference for the team.”
Madueke played for 61 minutes against the Whites before being replaced by Gabriel Martinelli. The right-sided winger completed only 64 percent of his passes, but had a genuine creative presence.
Aside from his assist and cross leading to the own goal, Madueke completed an impressive four out of six dribbles contested. The Englishman also won five duels and delivered three accurate crosses.
It was a fine outing for the £48 million signing, who was far from his best against Kairat in midweek. He is now likely to start against his former club Chelsea in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Saka’s setback was only termed as a ‘little niggle’ by Arteta, but the Arsenal graduate faces a race against time to be fit for Tuesday’s much-awaited encounter against the Blues at the Emirates.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have temporarily moved seven points clear of Manchester City and Aston Villa at the top of the league. Man City and Villa face Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford later today.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com
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