Arsenal fans have a lot to say about Noni Madueke after full debut vs Leeds

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Noni Madueke was handed his first Arsenal start by Mikel Arteta against Leeds United at the Emirates on Saturday.

The winger was granted just 30 minutes off the bench against Manchester United at Old Trafford last week, but Arteta opted to give him a starting place over Gabriel Martinelli for the visit of Daniel Farke’s side.

Deployed on the left-hand side of the Gunners’ attack, alongside Viktor Gyokeres and Bukayo Saka, Madueke struggled to get into the game for large periods.

Arsenal completed the signing of Eberechi Eze prior to the encounter against the Whites, and Madueke will certainly need to offer slightly more to keep the new signing out of the side.

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Arsenal fans react to Noni Madueke’s performance vs Leeds

Arsenal signed Noni Madueke for £52 million earlier this summer to provide cover and competition for Saka, as well as to potentially usurp Martinelli on the left.

The signing somewhat divided the Gunners fanbase, and the supporters don’t appear any closer to reaching a consensus on the player after seeing him in the flesh.

Madueke split opinion with what he did in the early stages in N5 against Leeds, with many taking to social media to express their views on the Englishman’s showing.

Some were impressed with what they saw, with one fan writing on X: “I know we are 3 minutes in, but I’m enjoying the directness of Madueke.”

Another added: “Madueke is looking kind of sharp.”

Others weren’t as impressed, with one fan positing: “Madueke LW is not it man.”

Another supporter wrote: “Noni Madueke is so ineffective. Too many touches.”

Meanwhile, one fan had a suggestion for Arteta: “I think it’s time Madueke and Saka swap wings.”

Noni Madueke needs time to settle in at Arsenal

While Madueke wasn’t at his sparkling best against Leeds, he’s still acclimatising to his teammates and Arsenal’s way of playing.

The Gunners supporters will need to be patient with the 23-year-old, who needs time to learn the automatisms of Arteta’s system.

There were a handful of instances against the Yorkshire outfit in which he did show his pace, explosiveness and directness, and it will be about getting the player into these dangerous areas more frequently.

Madueke is a work in progress at Arsenal, although he won’t have infinite time to prove himself, with Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and now Eze all knocking on the door to make the left wing their own.