Arsenal have got off to a winning start in their quest to win the Premier League title.
Riccardo Calafiori scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Manchester United after he headed home at the back post following a wicked corner from Declan Rice.
Arsenal fans were furious with William Saliba for his lacklustre first half display, however, the defender responded well in the second period to help marshal a clean sheet to start the campaign.
It was not the most convincing start for Mikel Arteta’s side and Arsenal fans have been particularly vocal about the performance of new signing Noni Madueke.
Arsenal fans react to Noni Madueke’s performance v Manchester United
Madueke replaced Gabriel Martinelli on the hour mark with the Gunners leading 1-0 but needing a fresh impetus in the game.
Arsenal fans have taken to X to voice their opinions over Madueke’s performance after the winger squandered a late chance to seal the points and looked nervy on his Premier League debut for the club.
One fan wrote: “When you see some of us ranting about Arteta’s talent ID, you’ll think we are just being troublesome. Tell me what Madueke has been doing here.”
Another fan wrote: “We campaigned against the signing but they didn’t listen, that last minute miss was classic Madueke, not surprised at all.”
One Arsenal fan was incensed that Martinelli was brought off after showing his defensive commitments to the team, they wrote: “Madueke, at least Martinelli could run back. What are you offering me???”
Noni Madueke’s statistics v Manchester United do not make for great reading
Arteta is excited about Madueke this season but the Gunners boss will be expecting vast improvements from what his new signing delivered.
The England international was a liability defensively after being beaten on numerous occasions by Amad Diallo on the flanks and failed to get involved in an attacking sense at all.
| Manchester United v Arsenal match statistics | Noni Madueke |
| Minutes played | 30 |
| Touches | 14 |
| Ground duels won | 1/6 |
| Possession lost | 4 |
| Dribbled past | 2 |
The 23-year-old has had a disrupted pre-season after coming back late from Chelsea’s FIFA Club World Cup exploits and needs some time to settle into the side.
However, Arsenal fans will demand basic work rate and defensive commitment, something Madueke failed to show in his second half performance.
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