From Villain to Hero: Noni Madueke Scores Last Gasp Penalty in Chelsea’s 2-1 Win Against Crystal Palace
In the most unexpected turns in a topsy-turvy year for the Blues, Mauricio Pochettino brought on Noni Madueke, to which the England winger scored a last-minute penalty to earn Chelsea all three points against their London rivals. For context, Noni Madueke is a player with whom Pochettino supposedly quarrelled in the early parts of his stink with Chelsea due to his work ethic and effort in the training ground. While it is still unproven whether the rumours were true, Noni Madueke had featured scarcely for the Blues, but he claimed all bragging rights in Chelsea’s penultimate match of a tragic 2023.
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Noni Madueke Secured Chelsea’s Third Premier League Home Win in a Row
Despite the inconsistent record of three wins, three losses and a triumphant penalty shootout to the semi-finals of the EFL Cup, it is probably Chelsea’s best streak of results this year as this win against Crystal Palace makes in three straight wins on the bounce at home. However, it looked like the same old story for the Blues prior to Noni Madueke’s converted penalty.
As usual, Chelsea started the game by dominating proceedings against their opposition and creating chances at free will. However, it is always the final product that lets the team down, and Mykhailo Mudryk has enough of Nicolas Jackson squandering opportunities as the Ukranian netted his second goal for the Blues with a tap-in after great work from Mario Gusto and Nkunku. Unfortunately, their job did not last into the half-time changing rooms as Michael Olise cooly equalised for Palace and shushed the home crowd as celebrations.
The second half looked like another frustrating home outing for Pochettino’s side as Jackson missed a sitter before VAR disallowed his goal minutes later due to offside. Fortunately for the Blues, their persistence paid off when Noni Madueke showed quick footwork and won a penalty against Eze. Thus, as the brother’s code goes, whoever wins takes it, and Noni Madueke certainly did with aplomb by sending the keeper the wrong way. It was Noni Madueke’s first goal in the Premier League this season, and Blues fans could only hope this goal would propel him ahead of Jackson or Sterling in the starting line-up.
Mauricio Pochettino Addressed Reason Why Noni Madueke Took the Penalty
When reporters questioned Mauricio Pochettino whether Noni Madueke is the designated penalty taker with Palmer and Sterling absent, he replied: It was Conor, and I said to him, it’s you, but if you’re not confident enough, give it to Noni Madueke. I am so glad and so happy. He came from the bench and showed this hunger and confidence.”
As for Madueke’s overall performance, the Argentinian manager replied: “He played free. The difference is he did what we needed in this moment. He went to play, and I liked that he showed that he was upset with me. He was disappointed with me, as he hadn’t played too much, but he showed me that I could trust him.”
He further elaborated: “They need to show me that I can trust, and the mentality is really important in the Premier League. You need quality, but you need the right mentality and approach in training in order to perform. We are not a charity. We are a football club, and we need to perform. Sometimes, we need to be tough and show the reality when a player isn’t ready to perform. If you want to compete for Chelsea, with all due respect, it’s not like at other clubs. It’s about winning trophies and respecting the history of the club.”
Noni Madueke Stated He Felt No Pressure From the Spot
Despite the occasion, Noni Madueke stated he never felt added pressure when taking the penalty. “I am confident from the spot; I scored one earlier this season against AFC Wimbledon. So when I saw the VAR give the penalty, there was no doubt in my mind that I would take it.”
As for the result, Madueke replied: “Today was a must-win game. It’s about consistency for us at the moment; that is the big thing. We play good football and are scoring goals, but we’re probably conceding a few too many. There have been similar games in the season that we should have won and haven’t quite got the rub of the green. So I’m happy. We’ve done the business and got the three points.”
When questioned about his own performance and season thus far, the English winger answered: “It’s been a stop-start campaign for me. I’ve had little niggles, little injuries, things that haven’t quite gone my way. I’m happy to have an impact off the bench today, and whether I start the next game – or have the same impact off the bench – is up to the manager.”
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