After an impressive performance against Arsenal on Tuesday night, Chelsea’s caretaker manager Frank Lampard has promised to give Noni Madueke more playing time in the final five games of the Premier League season.
With Arsenal leading by three goals, the England U21 international of Nigerian descent equalised with Chelsea’s first shot of the second half – his first goal for the club.
Noni Madueke was a goal and assist provider for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, registering 34 goal involvements (20 goals, 14 assists) in 80 appearances before joining Chelsea in the January transfer window. It took the 21-year-old some time to adjust to the demands of the Premier League, and he has struggled to find game time, but he is now up and running with his first goal in the English top flight.
The Blues’ difficult season continued this week with a trip to Arsenal, who ripped through a fragile team with three first-half goals. Martin Odegaard (two goals) and Gabriel Jesus punished the visitors with goals, which helps them in their title defense.
Noni Madueke equalized for Chelsea after a lovely pass from Mateo Kovacic in the 65th minute. Chelsea’s league position remains unchanged at 39 points. Noni Madueke’s second-half goal was the only highlight for the traveling fans at the Emirates.
Lampard Praises Noni Madueke
Lampard said after the game that he preferred to talk about the team as a whole, but he singled out Noni Madueke for praise. “If I want to talk about an individual I might be talking about Noni, who scored the goal, came in and played like he’s been training, and that’s a good example. He’ll get more opportunities.”
Madueke, a former Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace youth teamer, has played 305 Premier League minutes out of a possible 1260 since joining Chelsea.