Noni Madueke has not really been in the spotlight much since leaving Chelsea, even though he had a pretty good two years at the club.
The England winger is still looking for his first goal with Arsenal, but he did manage 20 goals and nine assists in his two-year stint at Chelsea before making the move to North London.
Madueke has spent several weeks sidelined through injury, but he is set to return to an Arsenal side currently top of the league and gearing up for a trip back to his old home ground later this month.
Looking back on his time at Chelsea, there is plenty to be proud of. He helped them win the Conference League and was part of a squad that finished inside the Premier League’s top four – achievements that will no doubt stick with him as he continues his career elsewhere.
Noni Madueke says he has never experienced anything like Arsenal’s team spirit
Madueke has not found it easy to break into the Arsenal starting XI since making the switch, but even so, he has been full of praise for what Mikel Arteta has built.
“It’s a team full of good people. And I think the culture around here is probably the best I’ve seen. And yeah, no, in terms of the supporters, it was a bit dicey at the start.
“It was a bit dicey at the start, but on social media and stuff, before I came to the club, but bro, when I’ve been in the stadium, I haven’t felt like fans, I haven’t felt that close to fans, to be honest, in the stadium,” he said.
While getting regular minutes is going to be tough with Bukayo Saka ahead of him in his usual position, Madueke’s move still came at a good time for his career.
Estevao Willian is already showing more than Noni Madueke did at Chelsea
Even though Maresca has been careful with his development, Estevao Willian is already giving glimpses that he has the talent to go a long way in the game.
The Brazilian winger has found the net regularly when given opportunities, and Alan Pardew has even gone as far as to draw comparisons between Estevao and Diego Maradona.
He is still finding his feet at this level, but there have not been any real signs that he is struggling physically against European competition.
If Madueke were still at Chelsea, it is hard to imagine him holding down a regular spot ahead of Estevao. Even Pedro Neto might start feeling the pressure soon enough.
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