Noni Madueke went into this summer carrying a strange kind of baggage. Last summer he joined Arsenal from Chelsea for about £50m, and supporters answered with a #NoToMadueke petition campaign. A few months later, he has started for England at a World Cup opener, with Thomas Tuchel describing him as a “difference-maker”.
The Arsenal season that changed the picture
The easiest way to read Madueke’s season is through the workload first. He made 43 appearances for Arsenal in 2025-26, scored 8 goals and added 4 assists in all competitions. For a winger who was not guaranteed a place every week, that is a useful amount of output.
He started only 16 times in the league, with a knee injury and competition from Bukayo Saka limiting his starts. That is why the debate around him never really settled while the season was still going. He was visible enough to contribute to a title-winning campaign, but not so established that the arguments around his role disappeared.
England and the right-side opening
That was the opening England used in the win over Croatia. Madueke won the penalty, had 5 touches in the opposition box and completed his only dribble. He also posted a 7.7 rating, which fits the eye test from the game, he did not look like a passenger filling a gap.
Saka made his 50th appearance for England in the same match, but he is dealing with an Achilles issue he has carried since March. That has shaped the picture on the right side for now. Madueke has the direct one-on-one threat Tuchel likes, and Saka’s comment on their shared minutes, “I don't really know how it works, but it works”, captures the oddness of it better than any grand theory.
Madueke has gone from being the subject of a transfer petition to a player trusted in a knockout-style opening game. The season still looks rotational on paper, because 16 league starts is not a full-time role. But 43 appearances, 8 goals and an England start under Tuchel is a stronger case than most expected when the backlash began, and England’s next right-side call will tell us whether this is a temporary opening or a lasting one.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →