LEEDS, England, Jan 31 : Such is the depth of Arsenal’s squad that even when Bukayo Saka suffered a hip niggle in the warm-up before kickoff at Leeds United on Saturday, manager Mikel Arteta could simply insert another England international winger in his place.
Noni Madueke, who moved across London from Chelsea in a deal worth around 50 million pounds ($68.4 million) last summer, has been largely a back-up option for Premier League leaders Arsenal but when Saka was ruled out at Elland Road, he responded in style.
He was instrumental in laying the foundations for a 4-0 win that got Arsenal back on track after their recent wobble, setting up the 27th-minute opener for Martin Zubimendi and sending in a wickedly curling corner that Leeds keeper Karl Darlow could only fumble into his own goal after 38 minutes.
His cross for the opener was his first assist of the season and although he was denied being credited for Arsenal’s second, it was a display that would have provided comfort for Arteta.
“(Saka) wasn’t comfortable to start the game, so immediately we made a decision to make that change and bring Noni in,” Arteta said after Arsenal’s first win in four league games that sent them seven points clear at the top.
“He was ready, because you cannot do that in two minutes. The way he prepares, the way he’s waiting for opportunity, He really impacted the team,” Arteta said.
Madueke, 23, said it was the first time he had started a game at such short notice.
“I didn’t know what happened to B. In terms of the time I had before the game, it was not much, maybe five minutes to warm up and go out and play,” Madueke said.
“It’s the first time that’s happened to me, so I was just happy that I was going to get to play from the start, to be honest. As an attacker, you always try and make an impact in an attacking sense, whether you can score or create goals or create chances, wreak havoc and pose a threat.”
It was not just Madueke’s contribution that augured so well for Arsenal’s hopes of winning their first title since 2004.
Forward Kai Havertz made his first Premier League start for almost a year while Brazilian duo Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus both impressed after coming off the bench, Martinelli providing an assist for Viktor Gyokeres and Jesus wrapping up the win with a brilliant individual goal.
Arteta could even afford to start skipper Martin Odegaard on the bench while another England forward, Eberechi Eze, made a late cameo off the bench.
“We’re going to have to navigate through different moments in the game, and we’re going to need everybody fulfilling the role that they have on the day, and I think the players executed that incredibly well,” Arteta said.
($1 = 0.7306 pounds)
