Madueke snubbed by England again, but Arteta sees it as a blessing in disguise
Noni Madueke has been overlooked by Thomas Tuchel for a second consecutive England squad, and this time the omission has sparked plenty of debate given the form he has shown in an Arsenal shirt. Yet according to the Evening Standard, the snub could actually work in Arsenal's favour.
Arsenal had five players named in Tuchel's latest squad for the Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Spain, more than any other club and more than the rest of the traditional 'Big Six' combined, even without the injured Bukayo Saka. Madueke's absence from that list was still the detail that drew the most attention.
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Since the last international break, Madueke has three goals and an assist in his last nine appearances, eight of which have been starts, the best sustained run of his Arsenal career. He has started every Premier League and Champions League match since filling in on the right wing following Saka's quad injury, playing every minute since.
Warm weather training, again
Rather than treating the international break as time off, Madueke is reportedly set to fly abroad for warm weather training, a plan Mikel Arteta has signed off on. He is expected to return to London Colney towards the start of next week to begin preparations for Arsenal's trip to Newcastle.
It mirrors exactly what happened last time Madueke was left out of the England squad. Before that break, he had played just 23 minutes of Premier League football all season and was, in the Standard's words, very much on the periphery of Arteta's thinking.
Instead of resting, Madueke flew to Portugal and asked for an individual training programme, determined to build his sharpness. When he returned, Arteta and his coaching staff reportedly felt they had a different player in front of them, and it was not long before Madueke was starting ahead of Eberechi Eze on the left wing against Leeds.
Arteta's verdict
Arteta has been direct in his praise for how Madueke has forced his way into the team. “He’s been the best player in the last 10 days,” Arteta said at the time. “He gave me no option not to select him and not to play him today.”
The numbers back up the manager's assessment. No player in the Premier League is creating more chances per 90 minutes this season than Madueke, whose figure of 3.57 is more than double what he managed last term. Against Hull, he also had more touches in the opposition box than any Arsenal player has managed in the league all season.
Speaking after that Hull win, Arteta made clear he wants even more from the winger. “He’s been incredible,” he said. “Now you are in that position, now you need to hold it and improve it, and he can still do that. So let’s see what he does in this break.”
If the pattern from the last international break repeats itself, Arsenal fans can expect Madueke to return to north London sharper still, ready to pick up right where he left off against Newcastle.
