Noni Madueke issues perfect response to Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca after furious Arsenal reaction

Noni Madueke’s performance for England against Greece issued the perfect response to suggestions that he should be dropped from Chelsea’s starting lineup. The winger has not scored or assisted since the 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest, and showed his frustration when he was substituted last weekend.

The England man walked straight down the tunnel when he was replaced by Mykhailo Mudryk in the second half against Arsenal. That reaction was defended by manager Enzo Maresca, but earned criticism from former Premier League defender Rio Ferdinand .

Pedro Neto’s equaliser against Arsenal came when he was playing on the right, the position Madueke has claimed as his own so far in the Premier League. His place could now potentially be in danger.

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But the winger’s performance on the international stage will only help his cause to keep his place in the Chelsea starting line-up. Madueke was given his first start for the Three Lions by interim manager Lee Carlsey against Greece.

The 22-year-old took the chance with both hands. It took just seven minutes for him to make an impact, when he beat his full back to get to the byline before pulling the ball back to Ollie Watkins to put England 1-0 up.

England knew that they had to win the game to keep their hopes of finishing at the top of the group, and therefore earning automatic promotion back to League A alive. An own goal and a flick from Curtis Jones in the second half gave the Three Lions a comfortable 3-0 win.

Amid talk and criticism over his reaction to being substituted against Arsenal, the best thing that Madueke could do is get his head down and impress with his performances in an England shirt. That’s exactly what he did against Greece, especially in the first half, his marker couldn’t get close to him with Madueke’s variety of being able to go on both the inside and outside causing all sorts of problems.

The Chelsea man will be looking to repeat the performance when England take on the Republic of Ireland on Sunday afternoon. The Three Lions know that a win will now see them finish top of the group.

Maresca is bound to be keeping a close eye on his performances as the Chelsea boss prepares for the Premier League clash against Leicester City after the international break. Madueke’s response to the frustration he showed against Arsenal is a positive sign for Maresca ahead of that game.