Phil Haigh
Published November 28, 2025 12:04am
Updated November 28, 2025 12:04am
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Noni Madueke is back in the Arsenal team after injury (Picture: Getty Images)
Noni Madueke will not be surprised if the atmosphere is hostile when he returns to Chelsea with Arsenal, but tells Blues fans he is focussed on securing three points for the Gunners.
The 23-year-old moved from Stamford Bridge to the Emirates over the summer in something of a surprise move which cost the north Londoners £50m.
After a bright start, his progress was curtailed due to a knee injury, but he is fit again and is back in Mikel Arteta’s thinking.
The England international came off the bench and scored in the 3-1 win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, his first goal for the club.
The big games keep on coming and Arsenal go to Chelsea on Sunday, which Madueke expects to be spicy but is looking forward to.
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‘It might be a little bit hostile; it might not be. But I am a professional footballer,’ Madueke said. ‘I have played in loads of atmospheres. I don’t know if anything will faze me. I will just be focused on the task.
‘The fixture is not about me. The fixture is about Arsenal getting another three points in the league and being closer to the objective.’
Madueke celebrated his first Arsenal goal against Bayern Munich (Picture: Getty Images)
Things have pretty quickly turned round for the winger at Arsenal, with a section of fans far from convinced about his signing in July, creating a #NoToMadueke campaign on social media.
He has brushed that off and says he is already feeling the love from the Arsenal supporters.
‘You are in the public eye – people can say whatever they want about you,’ he said. ‘But being in the stadium, and how the fans have taken to me in the stadium, is unbelievable.’
He added: ‘The last game versus Tottenham was incredible and that gives me such a boost.
‘I play on the side of the pitch. I can feel them; I can hear them. When they are that positive about me it gives me a massive boost. Honestly, I am made up about it.’
Noni Madueke bags his first ever Champions League goal to make it 2-1 Arsenal 🔥@tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/qtxaeF0Vem
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 26, 2025
Madueke’s first goal for Arsenal came in his eighth appearance and Arteta was thrilled to see him get off the mark in a huge game.
‘Very happy. He’s worked incredibly hard to come back,’ said the Spaniard. ‘I think he was in a great moment before he got the injury.
‘He’s one of the players that he was performing at the highest level. And now we’ve got him back. He played on the left, he played on the right. He gave us something as a different edge in that front line. I’m very pleased to see him and hopefully many more to come.’
Madueke made 92 appearances for Chelsea (Picture: Getty Images)
There is a lot of competition for places in the Arsenal side this season, with Madueke battling the likes of Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Martinelli and Ebere Eze for a place in the starting XI.
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However, former Arsenal striker Paul Dickov reckons he deserves a start at Chelsea, telling Metro: ‘Yeah, I think so.
‘That goal [against Bayern Munich] will give him a lot of confidence. He started the season very, very well at Arsenal after a lot of people questioned the signing and then unfortunately he got injured.
‘He came on last night and got his goal – not a bad time to get it going back to his old stomping ground. There’s always a story there when players go back to their old clubs. I’ve been there many times myself.’
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