Madueke only arrived in north London this summer, with أرسنال shelling out a hefty £48.5 million to prise him away from تشيلسي. Some questioned whether the إنجلترا international was worth the outlay, but the early signs are promising.
Against Forest, it was Arsenal’s new boys Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres who found the net, with the Spaniard bagging a brace before Gyokeres rounded off the scoring. Yet despite not being on the scoresheet himself, Madueke’s performance was once again eye-catching. His pace stretched the Forest backline, his trickery unlocked space, and his link-up play showed maturity beyond his years.
But Keown wasn’t about to let him bask in the praise unchallenged. Looking Madueke dead in the eye during the TNT Sports post-match chat, the former Arsenal defender dropped his verdict: “Noni, have you taken your game to another level? Because you look more collective. I was worried about you when you came. Because I thought sometimes you can be a little bit selfish. But now, you seem to have got really good balance to your play. The decisions you’re making have been outstanding…”
Presenter Lynsey Hipgrave attempted to lighten the mood, joking that Madueke could dismiss the comment as “rubbish,” but Keown pressed on, insisting his decision-making had noticeably improved.
Keown continued: “No, no. I think it’s getting that balance. I think your decision-making has changed. Is that the manager? Is it the new club? What has happened?”
If Keown thought his words would rattle the youngster, he was wrong. Madueke took the criticism on the chin, delivering a calm and confident response.
“I feel it’s important to keep that self-belief that you can get the ball and do it yourself as well,” he said. “As a winger, I feel like you need that. But of course, like you’re saying, I’m playing with such top players and it’s important for me to try and find them as much as I try and play my own type of game. It’s easy to play with these guys. I’m having a great time. Maybe I have taken a step in that direction.”
Arsenal head to إسبانيا on Tuesday night for a crunch دوري أبطال أوروبا tie against Athletic Club at San Mames. For Madueke, it’s another opportunity to show that his £48.5m fee is money well spent. And if he keeps combining that fearless winger’s instinct with the sharper awareness Keown pointed out, he could be Arsenal’s breakout star on Europe’s biggest stage.
