Madueke replaced Martinelli in the 77th minute and drew praise for his brief performance, quieting critics who had questioned his £52 million move from Chelsea. ..Continue Reading
Though some fans were initially skeptical about signing the English winger, many at the Emirates were won over by his display on Wednesday.
Arsenal’s decision to spend big on Madueke raised questions, especially since many expected the club to pursue a more established left-sided attacker.
The England international eagerly accepted the opportunity to join Arsenal, though eyebrows were raised given his history of playing predominantly on the right at Chelsea.
Despite only featuring for 14 minutes, Madueke showed attacking urgency, pushing to help Arsenal equalize in the closing stages.
He delivered a smart cross to a teammate, but Villarreal held firm to hand Arteta’s men another defeat, following their previous 1-0 loss to Spurs.
The 23-year-old has started to win over fans online, with many now backing him to take over Martinelli’s role on the left wing.
One supporter posted: “Madueke doing more in less than 5 mins than Martinelli did.”
Another fan stated: “I was wrong. Madueke is better than Martinelli.”
Madueke didn’t put a foot wrong from a passing perspective and he was applauded with the club’s Hale End wonderkid: “(Max) Dowman and Madueke are the Arsenal’s best attackers today. How in the world is that possible?”
One fan was equally as impressed: “Madueke.. the left wing position is yours to lose this season, bro.”
Madueke’s night wasn’t flawless, as he failed to convert his spot-kick in the post-match penalty shootout following the team’s loss.
Villarreal secured the victory thanks to goals from Nicolas Pepe, Karl Etta Eyong, and Arnaut Danjuma, while Christian Norgaard and a penalty from Martin Ødegaard kept the home side in contention.
Given his promising display, Madueke might now stake a claim for the left-wing role—a position that’s lacked consistency over the past year.
Martinelli’s erratic form hasn’t helped his case, and attention will now turn to who joins Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyökeres in the front three when Arsenal face Manchester United on August 17.
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