"Did a fantastic job with the ball and without the ball" - Pochettino praises Chelsea star for his 'unbelievable' performance in 2-0 Spurs win
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has praised forward Noni Madueke for his performance in their Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur.
The Blues eased to a 2-0 win on Thursday, May 2, at Stamford Bridge, thanks to goals from Trevoh Chalobah (24') and Nicolas Jackson (72'). While he did not record a goal or assist, Madueke played a key role in his side's victory.
The Englishman, who played the entirety of the contest, recorded two key passes and completed five of his seven attempted dribbles. He also registered a pass accuracy of 76% and made two tackles and two clearances, while winning two fouls and 11 of his 17 duels.
After the match, Pochettino was full of praise for Madueke and said (as quoted by @FabrizioRomano on X):
"Noni Madueke, unbelievable. He did a fantastic job with the ball and without the ball. That is what we needed for the future to build this spirit, to be very competitive."
The Chelsea boss also lauded goalscorer Chalobah and midfielder Conor Gallagher, both of whom played key roles in the team keeping a clean sheet. Gallagher also assisted Chalobah's goal from a free-kick.
"Trevoh Chalobah and Conor Gallagher were fantastic as players that grew in this club," Pochettino said.
Video surfaces of Mauricio Pochettino embracing Noni Madueke after Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Shortly after the end of the match on Thursday, a video emerged on X of Mauricio Pochettino and Noni Madueke engaged in a happy but animated conversation. The duo then proceeded to embrace each other as well.
You can watch the video below (via @DeanCFC_):
Pochettino notably criticized Madueke and Nicolas Jackson last month after they were involved in a spat with Cole Palmer over a penalty-kick in their 6-0 win over Everton. Madueke, who also received criticism from fans and pundits, responded with an Instagram post of a Chelsea huddle, allaying any lingering rumors of a rift.
Overall, Madueke, 22, has played 30 times across competitions for Chelsea this season, recording seven goals and two assists.