Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino talks about Noni Madueke and his penalty moment
Ever since moving from PSV to West London in the January window of 2023, 21-year-old Noni Madueke has not had life easy at Chelsea. Constant struggles with injury and his fair share of inconsistencies meant that he could not secure for himself a spot in the starting XI. Moreover, the signing of Cole Palmer in the summer saw Noni fall further down the pecking order struggling to get himself into the lineup.
However, an opportune moment arose for the player as Palmer picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in the 2-1 loss against Wolves meaning he sat out suspended for the home clash against Crystal Palace. The fact that Raheem Sterling also sat out meant that Madueke could have a role to play against the Eagles.
Coming on in the 71st minute for Christopher Nkunku, Madueke helped the Blues a lot in possession and posed a significant threat down the right side. Even as a substitute, and playing only 20-odd minutes, the former PSV man had the second-most dribbles for a Chelsea player in the game (4). Chaos also saw him pick up a yellow card. However, the absolute highlight of the game was his penalty in the 89th minute.
Nonzinho, as he is called, won a foul in the box from a corner as Eberechi Eze tripped preventing him from having a go at goal. After a few minutes of VAR drama, Madueke stepped up to take the spot-kick and converted it with composure. It was ‘ice cold‘ to say the least. A short run-up with a stutter put Dean Henderson off to one side and took his attempt to another, the goal was very important for Madueke himself to regain confidence. Here is what manager Pochettino had to say about him in the post-match presser via football.london :
“No, he played free. The difference is he did what we needed in this moment. Go to play and I like it showed that he was upset with me and disappointed with me because he didn’t play too much, also because of his injury. But he thinks yes, now I’m going to show the coach that I can trust in myself.”
It was only Madueke’s first goal this season. In the eight Premier League games he’s played this season, he has started only one and has accumulated just less than 150 minutes overall. For all the talent that he has, it is surely unfair for him to remain a bench option for Pochettino. There’s not much the tactician can do as well given the overload in attacking positions.
As earlier mentioned, the likes of Palmer, Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk, Nicolas Jackson and Armando Broja are all in the reckoning and it is surely a tough decision to make for the manager. The huge roster surely does not do any help.
As Chelsea continue to navigate the complexities of a competitive season, Noni Madueke’s redemption against Crystal Palace emerges as a promising subplot.
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Time will tell if Madueke’s standout performance will pave the way for more significant roles in the upcoming matches, marking a turning point in his Chelsea journey.