Noni Madueke filled in for the injured Bukayo Saka for Arsenal against Liverpool on Sunday at Anfield.
The winger was deployed on the right of the Gunners’ front three, alongside Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli.
This was the former Chelsea star’s first start in his natural position for his new club, and he caught the eye with an encouraging display.
Arsenal fans were impressed with Madueke and his desire to be direct when running with the ball, with the England international showcasing his ball-carrying ability and his pace.
Simon Jordan wasn’t impressed with Noni Madueke vs Liverpool
The general perception was that Madueke performed well against Liverpool.
Not paired with a creative midfielder on that side, with Mikel Merino picked ahead of the injured Martin Odegaard, the 23-year-old did well to be Arsenal’s most threatening attacking player on the day.
While most were enthused by what they saw from the new recruit, talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan was not.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Monday, Jordan described Madueke’s display as ‘predictable’.
“Martinelli looks a fraction of the player,” he said.
“Madueke was predictable. Madueke did the same thing every single time. He never put a ball in early. He just ran the line. So the full-back knew what he was going to do in the end.”
Simon Jordan was wrong about Noni Madueke’s performance
In a cagey game in which both sides did very little going forward, Madueke was a live wire and arguably the most dangerous attacking player on the pitch.
He showed a determination and willingness to make something happen amidst the sterility of the match, and this should be applauded rather than criticised.
Milos Kerkez struggled to deal with the wide forward, even if he was mostly driving to the byline rather than cutting inside.
That said, Madueke did come inside on one occasion and almost scored with a deflected effort.
| Noni Madueke’s Statistics vs Liverpool | |
| Minutes Played | 90 |
| Touches | 28 |
| Shots | 3 |
| Expected Goals | 0.15 |
| Key Passes | 2 |
| Accurate Passes | 9/16 (56%) |
| Touches in Opposition Box | 9 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 2/3 (66%) |
He took more shots, had more touches, more touches in Liverpool’s box and completed more passes than any of Arsenal’s attacking players on the day.
It was a performance that should leave the Gunners fans assured that they now have someone who can adequately come in for Saka when the talisman isn’t fit.
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