Noni Madueke was unable to play much for Chelsea this season due to injuries and tough competition. However, he made a significant impact as a replacement in a brief 20-minute stint on Wednesday. Chelsea defeated Crystal Palace thanks to a penalty scored by the 21-year-old in the 89th minute. Mauricio Pochettino, who has previously criticized Madueke, was pleased with how his player responded.
Mauricio Pochettino praises Noni Madueke
Mauricio Pochettino praised Noni Madueke for showing determination and proving his value to Chelsea. Madueke came off the bench and scored a late penalty in the 2-1 win against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. Initially, it seemed like Crystal Palace would get a point, but everything changed when Eberechi Eze made a clumsy challenge, causing Madueke to fall in the box.
The referee, Michael Salisbury, needed to check VAR, but it looked like an easy decision. He gave a penalty, and Madueke, who hadn’t played much under Pochettino before, calmly scored the winning goal.
Pochettino’s team seemed better at scoring goals than they have been in the past few weeks. They were able to change possession into good chances. After the game, the manager mentioned that Madueke’s contribution turned his frustration from not playing much into positive action.
“He (Madueke) played free. He did what we needed in this moment. I liked it. He showed he was upset with me, disappointed with me because he didn’t play too much. (He thought) Now I’m going to show the coach he can trust in me. We are not a charity, we are a football club. We need to perform. We are here to try and help the players to perform. Sometimes we need to be tough. We need to show the reality. Sometimes we need to put (the players) in front of the mirror and say come on, that is not the player that is going to perform,” Pochettino said.
🚨 Mauricio Pochettino says Noni Madueke played with a point to prove in the win over Crystal Palace.
“He showed that he was UPSET with me!” 😤#CFC
(@HaytersTV)pic.twitter.com/XS99zDPzoJ
— Chelsea Dodgers (@TheBlueDodger) December 27, 2023
“We have an amazing group, but they need to realise that to compete at Chelsea is not (the same) as to compete at another club. It’s about winning, about lifting trophies and making history. It’s about respecting the history of the club,” he added.
Chelsea won three games in a row at home, but they lost four games in a row when playing away. This win helped them move up to the top half of the table, but they are still 14 points away from the Champions League places.
