Noni Madueke made one thing so clear to Mikel Arteta ahead of Arsenal’s clash vs Man United

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Arsenal concluded their pre-season action with a win over Athletic Bilbao at the Emirates.

After the Gunners lost to Villarreal, fans were yearning for a higher level of performance, and that’s just what those inside the Emirates received.

Arsenal beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in a searing performance, with Mikel Arteta seeing a lot of positives from his new signings.

The standout was the man of the match, as Martin Zubimendi blew Arsenal fans away with his faultless performance alongside Declan Rice in midfield.

Viktor Gyokeres also netted his first goal in red and white, but the pair weren’t the only talking points when it came to the new arrivals.

• READ MORE: Arsenal fans say defender who played vs Athletic Bilbao is a ‘unicorn’, could be a game-changer this season

Noni Madueke has earned a start against Manchester United

Arteta conveyed a clear message at half-time, as Gabriel Martinelli was swapped out for Noni Madueke, giving the Arsenal manager the chance to fairly assess the duo.

Seeing the England international given the entire second half to impress was unsurprising, as Madueke has already won over Arsenal’s coaching staff in training.

One of the biggest dilemmas in the Arsenal squad at present is the left wing, but against Athletic Bilbao, Arteta saw daylight.

While Martinelli’s performance was a stark improvement on his showing against Villarreal, Madueke was the more impactful winger.

As seen when comparing the two players’ statistics, Madueke got himself on the ball a lot more than the Brazilian and, most prominently, had more success one-on-one.

The summer signing also showed his qualities in distribution, pulling off two long balls and firing in a tasty cross that, really, should’ve been converted.

With the Premier League opener against Manchester United coming up next, Madueke showed Arteta that he’s the leading candidate to start at Old Trafford.

Madueke’s record against Man United

Coming from Chelsea, Madueke is well-rehearsed when it comes to facing Man United.

The England international has faced the Red Devils four times in his career, sporting a 50% win rate, drawing once and losing once.

Madueke is unbeaten against Ruben Amorim’s Man United side, which is food for thought for Arteta, with the 23-year-old also having one goal contribution in his career against Arsenal’s rivals.

Arteta has a big decision to make on the left side ahead of the opening day, with Madueke surely making the boss’s life easier with his performance against Athletic Bilbao.