Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca warns Noni Madueke to not ‘lose all the good things he has done until now’
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca lavished praise, while also issuing a warning, to club forward Noni Madueke. The 22-year-old has been one of the breakthrough stars for the west London club this season, scoring four goals in as many games for the club across competitions.
Talking to Chelsea's official website, Maresca congratulated the forward on his selection into the England national team. He also advised Madueke to stay grounded and not stop working hard to maintain his standards.
“We feel very happy for him [Noni Madueke]. He is doing well. The only thing he has to do is not drop a little bit, otherwise it’s no good for him and he is going to lose all the good things he has done until now. He has to continue to work well, in the proper way," said Enzo Maresca.
The 44-year-old talked about wingers' penchant for going one-on-one against defenders. In that regard, he chose Madueke as the best winger in the club at present.
“Most of the time our wingers have the chance to be one-v-one ten times during the game. For every winger it’s a dream come true to play forward and have the chance to go one-v-one. We allow them during the game to go one-v-one at different times.
“The best one for us in this moment has been Noni. In pre-season he scored different goals, created different chances. Every time he received the ball he can go one-v-one. Noni is doing fantastic, but all our wingers are working well,” concluded the Chelsea manager.
Noni Madueke also impressed during the international break as England went up against Finland (September 10) to start their UEFA Nations League campaign. The Chelsea winger was brought on in place of Bukayo Saka in the 66th minute. He provided an assist to help Harry Kane make it 2-0 for the Three Lions.
Noni Madueke scored a hat-trick to register a thumping 6-2 win for Chelsea against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Noni Madueke was instrumental in a statement win for Chelsea against Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 25 at Molineaux. The 22-year-old was lethal from the right wing as he combined with Cole Palmer to deliver three quick-fire goals within just 14 minutes (49', 58', 63').
Madueke's onslaught began early in the second half after the first half ended 2-2. All three goals came through the same Palmer-Madueke connection from the right side of the penalty box.
Before the match, Madueke had posted an X-rated Instagram story revealing his hatred for Wolverhampton. Taking to Instagram Story, he wrote:
"Everything about this place is s**t."
However, he deleted it shortly after, claiming that he posted it from the wrong Instagram account. Needless to say, Madueke was not welcomed by the Wolves fans, who jeered every time the Englishman touched the ball.
However, the Chelsea winger was the one to enjoy the last laugh as he clinched the match ball after a player-of-the-match performance.