Mikel Arteta has opened up on his decision to hand Noni Madueke a starting role in Arsenal's recent victory over Leeds, explaining that the winger's recent training performances made the choice unavoidable, even at the expense of Eberechi Eze, who did not feature at all in the match.
For much of the past year, Arteta has shown reluctance to deploy Madueke on the left flank, often preferring other options in that position. However, the Arsenal manager revealed that his stance shifted during the recent international break, largely due to the player's application and performances on the training ground.
Madueke repaid that faith in emphatic fashion against Leeds. According to statistics from the match, no Arsenal player created more chances than the winger, who also topped the charts for touches inside the opposition box. His quality was on full display when he delivered a curling cross that set up Arsenal's equalising goal, a moment that helped shift momentum firmly in the home side's favour.
Speaking after the match, Arteta did not hide his satisfaction with how Madueke responded to the opportunity. "I'm really happy because he deserved the chance that he got and he grabbed it with both hands," the Arsenal boss said.
The manager also addressed the tension between his previous reservations about Madueke's role on the left and the player's reaction to being left out at times. "When I haven't liked so much what he was doing or he wasn't impacting the game, I made certain decisions. He has accepted them," Arteta explained, suggesting that Madueke's professionalism in dealing with being overlooked played a part in earning this latest chance.
Arteta was particularly effusive about the winger's recent training sessions, crediting them as the deciding factor behind the selection change. "What he's done is raise the level and in training he's been the best player in the last ten days," he said, underlining just how much of an impression Madueke had made away from matchday scrutiny.
The Spanish coach went further, making clear that the quality of Madueke's displays left him with little choice but to include him in the starting lineup for the Leeds fixture. "He gave me no option not to select him and not to play him today. You could see that every time he was in and around the ball, he looked a threat," Arteta added, pointing to the constant danger the winger posed whenever he received possession.
The decision to start Madueke came at the direct expense of Eze, who was an unused substitute throughout the contest. The England international's absence from the matchday action highlights the growing competition for places in Arsenal's attacking areas, with Arteta now having another viable option to call upon on the flanks.
For Madueke, the performance represents a significant moment in his Arsenal career, potentially marking a turning point in how he is utilized moving forward. Having previously found opportunities on the left limited, his impact against Leeds could prompt a reassessment of his role within Arteta's tactical plans going forward, particularly if he continues to maintain the training standards that so impressed his manager over the international break.
Based on reporting from standard-football.