In praise of exciting Arsenal attacker Noni Madueke 

Set Piece FC or Own Goal FC? Why not a bit of both at the same time

Bring on the haters - we love it says Charlie Ashmore

Noni gets the ragebait memo…..

I love watching Noni Madueke on the ball.

He is determined to make something happen – he carries the ball with joy in his soul and magic in his feet. But the end product has been missing.

Pressed into service at the last minute at Leeds on Saturday when Bukayo Saka was injured in the warm up at Elland Road, he finally delivered the end product we have all been waiting for. 

His corner deliver (hitherto not much to write home about) was on the money and caused real problems not least for the hapless Karl Darlow in goal who, with Calvert-Lewin getting in the way without actually trying to clear the ball, could do no more than help the ball in for the second goal. 

You could feel the rage building from the haters after another own goal, just as later on you could feel the satisfaction when the Premier League correctly awarded the goal to Noni, his first in the league for us. 

However, Noni's contribution for Arsenal's first goal at Leeds saw an excellent delivery into the box. When it was cleared and the ball was recycled to him, he saw off the defender with a simple yet effective change of direction before delivering a delicious cross into an area vacated by Calvert-Lewin. Just in time for Martin Zubimendi to feed off it with a delightfully glanced header, exorcising the ghost of last week’s giveaway. 

Madueke was a constant threat and he will only get better, he is only 23 after all. 

I am going to enjoy watching him develop and left backs up and down the country and across Europe are going to be having nightmares for years to come at the thought of having to face Saka and/or Madueke (and sometimes both). 

Set Piece FC?  Own goal FC? 

Why not a bit of both at the same time? 

Bring on the hate, folks – we love it!