Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has shared insights into why Noni Madueke was upset after the winger headed straight down the tunnel during their 1-1 match with Arsenal.
Madueke, 22, was subbed off in the 68th minute when the team was trailing from a Gabriel Martinelli goal. Maresca opted to replace him with Mykhaylo Mudryk. ..Continue Reading
Rather than sitting with his teammates on the bench, Madueke expressed his frustration by going directly down the tunnel, despite not being injured.
After the game, Maresca addressed the incident, acknowledging that the 44-year-old Madueke was unhappy with the substitution decision.
“The problem is that when you change a player, they’re never happy. We changed him,” Maresca said in his post-match press conference.
“It’s not only about Noni, it’s about all the players. In that moment, we thought in a different way that Pedro [Neto] with [Jurrien] Timber would be more aggressive.”
The Italian’s tactical adjustment had an immediate effect, moving Neto from the left to the right side, where the Portuguese winger struck a long-range shot into the bottom corner, securing a point for the West London team.
Maresca applauded the £54 million signing for netting his first Premier League goal since joining from Wolves and also highlighted Enzo Fernandez for making a strong impact as a substitute.
“All of our players are ready when we decide to give them the opportunity,” he told Sky Sports. “Enzo was ready to play from the start but we decided not to for a tactical reason but then he was excellent. Pedro has been excellent since he joined us.
“It is so, so strange for all the guys that are outside. We need balance. Sometimes Malo [Gusto] will play, sometimes Reece [James] will play, but the important thing is that when they play they perform well and this is the main thing.”
