‘Wow’ – Martin Keown in awe at what ‘explosive’ Arsenal star did vs Club Brugge
Martin Keown heaped praise on Noni Madueke after his stunning strike put Arsenal ahead in their 3-0 win against Club Brugge on Wednesday night.
Madueke joined Arsenal from Chelsea in the summer and impressed early in the season before suffering a knee injury which sidelined him for nearly two months.
Arsenal fans fumed at Madueke’s injury after he had started the campaign well, and he returned to action last month to play his part in their 4-1 derby win against Tottenham.
The England international has since been eased back into the fold by Mikel Arteta, but was handed a start against Club Brugge on Wednesday (9 December) as the Gunners aimed to continue their winning run in the Champions League.
Madueke impressed throughout the game in Belgium as Arsenal won 3-0, and one particular moment saw him lavished with praise by club legend Keown.
Keown swoons over Madueke after brilliant opener vs Brugge
Madueke scored his first Arsenal goal against Bayern Munich on 26 November, and he doubled his tally for the club in the first-half against Brugge with a fantastic long-range strike to make it 1-0.
The winger slammed the ball into the top-right corner from nearly 30 yards after dribbling past numerous opponents, with TNT Sports co-commentator and Gunners hero Keown applauding his brilliance accordingly.
He said: “Well that’s a special, special goal. The power that he generates in that shot (is) quite remarkable. I mean, look, he just sort of slowly explodes into this.
“Wow, there isn’t a keeper on the planet who is stopping that. He looks like he’s not really interested, but that change of pace, off he goes, he sorts his feet out beautifully and that is really well struck.
“It just hits the underside of the bar. Wow. No substitute for quality, by the way.”
Madueke could be a regular starter soon if Gabriel Martinelli leaves Arsenal
Madueke notched a brace in Brugge with an easy back-post header, while Martinelli wrapped the three points up with a fine strike of his own just minutes later.
The Brazilian was handed a start in the absence of Leandro Trossard, and while he played well, his future at Arsenal remains uncertain right now after recent inconsistencies.
Arsenal fans ripped into Martinelli for his recent performance against Chelsea, and he has slipped down Arteta’s pecking order this season after some poor showings.
He was linked away in the early parts of the last summer window before Football Insider revealed that Arsenal had decided to keep Martinelli for this season.
His contract is up in 2027 though, and with no sign of an extension being penned amid his lacklustre form, the Gunners may well look at letting him leave next summer.
Martinelli’s potential exit could open Madueke up to becoming a regular starter on the left-wing under Arteta in the years to come, and it is clear after this latest performance that he has what it takes to shine on the biggest stage of all.