"He is cold and I am fire" - Noni Madueke on his partnership with Cole Palmer after hat-trick in Chelsea's 6-2 win vs. Wolves
Noni Madueke talked up his growing partnership with Cole Palmer after he bagged a hat-trick in Chelsea's 6-2 thrashing of Wolverhampton Wanderers today (August 25). The English attacker was man-of-the-match and linked up with his English teammate for all of his three goals.
The 22-year-old winger spoke after the game where he netted the first hat-trick for the west London giants. He said regarding his connection with Palmer (via The Daily Mail's Kieran Gill):
"He is cold and I am fire so it mixes well, he always has the ability to play the right pass at the right time."
Noni Madueke was on target three times just hours after an Instagram mishap regarding his dislike of Wolverhampton went viral. He struck in the 49th, 58th and 63rd minutes at Molineaux.
Cole Palmer assisted Madueke for each of his three goals, and they were unstoppable in west Midlands. The England international was also on target in the victory, making it 26 goals and 18 assists in 48 games since arriving from Manchester City.
The English pair's strikes were vital as Wolves were alive in the first half. Nicolas Jackson gave the visitors the lead (2'), but Matheus Cunha hit back for the hosts (27').
Palmer struck on the stroke of half-time (45'), but Jorgen Strand Larsen ensured the teams went in level (45+6'). Madueke arrived with his memorable hat-trick before Joao Felix marked his second Chelsea debut with a goal (80').
"I like Noni Madueke" - Enzo Maresca was adamant he wanted to keep the winger at Chelsea
Noni Madueke's future has been the subject of speculation throughout the summer. Newcastle United have been linked with a move for the former PSV Eindhoven man, who has over five years left on his contract.
Enzo Maresca gave his take on Madueke during pre-season and insisted he liked the player. The new Chelsea boss suggested he wanted to keep him but that anything could happen during the transfer window (via transfer expert Fabrizio Romano):
"I like Noni Madueke… the only problem with him is he has to be consistent in every training session. I want to keep him at the club, for sure. The reality is, until the window is closed, anything can happen."
Madueke has been somewhat of a polarizing figure at Stamford Bridge since arriving in January 2023. He joined from PSV in a reported £29 million deal but failed to establish himself as a starter under former manager Mauricio Pochettino.