Noni Madueke: Why Arsenal's "functional weapon" could make difference in Premier League title race

You would be hard-pressed to find a Gooner without an opinion on Noni Madueke, whose £50m signing from Chelsea in the summer of 2025 divided opinion among everyone of an Arsenal persuasion.

Last summer’s ‘#NoToMadueke’ campaign, launched before his arrival, underlined the uncertainty surrounding the transfer; while some supporters accepted the need for cover after Bukayo Saka’s absence in 2024–25 undermined the title challenge midway through the campaign, others questioned why Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta were prepared to spend so much on a notional back-up.

Ultimately, many fans struggled to justify investing heavily in a player expected to arrive in North London primarily as a substitute rather than an automatic starter.

With Arsenal in the driving seat in the Premier League title race in February, heading into the final third of the 2025–26 season, there appears to be some method to the perceived madness after all.

Here, Sports Mole highlights why Madueke has quietly justified the fee and how the wide attacker could be pivotal in the season’s denouement as the Gunners bid to stave off Manchester City’s challenge.

How Noni Madueke’s barren Premier League run empowered sceptics

Arguments surrounding the wisdom of the £50m outlay only intensified due to a glaring lack of Premier League end product during the opening months of the 2025–26 campaign.

A staggering 365 days separated the winger’s final Premier League goal in Chelsea blue — an early strike against Man City in January 2025 — and his maiden league effort for the Gunners.

Such a prolonged drought did little to silence the ’#NoToMadueke’ movement, as the London-born attacker often appeared to flatter to deceive in his maiden campaign in North London.

Although the raw ability and aggressive ball-carrying he possesses arguably surpass those of his teammates, the inconsistent end product that frustrated fans at Stamford Bridge was increasingly evident.

Startlingly, the England international neither scored nor assisted in the Premier League in the first half of the season.

That has changed since late January, and it is undeniably what the doctor ordered as the title race intensifies in the final months of the 25–26 season.

Could Noni Madueke be Arsenal’s joker in the Premier League title race?

Fortunes shifted dramatically during the 4-0 rout of Leeds United at the end of February, a fixture in which the mercurial wide man was initially named among the substitutes.

Thrust into the action following a late injury to Saka in the warm-up, the 23-year-old delivered an inspired performance that dismantled the hosts at Elland Road and finally ended his year-long Premier League goal drought.

The wide attacker's resurgence continued with a crucial, albeit bittersweet, goal against Brentford. Although the Gunners eventually drew 1-1, the finish highlighted growing confidence and an improved sense of timing in the box.

Further evidence came in Sunday’s FA Cup fourth round against Wigan Athletic, where a dominant display saw the attacker exploit the space left by a naively high defensive line.

Arteta’s men made history in their 4-0 victory, becoming the first top-flight side in the Premier League era to score four times in the opening half-hour of an FA Cup tie, blowing the Latics away as they flexed their muscle.

4 - Arsenal are the first Premier League team (from 1992-93) to score four goals in the opening 30 minutes of an FA Cup game. Domination. pic.twitter.com/EQviDbYZel
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 15, 2026

While Wigan’s lack of pressure, despite their aggressive positioning, certainly played into Arsenal’s hands, the presence of such a direct threat allowed for significant tactical experimentation elsewhere.

Specifically, the inclusion of the summer signing on the right flank and a pre-match injury to Riccardo Calafiori enabled Saka to operate in an altered No. 10 role, a move that provided a creative solution to the absences of key personnel.

Speaking to journalists in his post-game press conference, Arteta made an intriguing Saka claim, saying unprompted that he would consider using the 24-year-old centrally in the future - music to Madueke's ears.

Injuries to the likes of Mikel Merino, Kai Havertz and even captain Martin Odegaard could have derailed the pursuit of silverware, yet the squad’s newfound depth has acted as a vital safety net.

Arsenal are undoubtedly far from home and hosed in this gruelling race against City, but the impact of their summer acquisition — who has scored three goals and provided one assist in his last five appearances — is becoming harder to ignore, especially as Saka is enduring a comparatively below-par season by his previously lofty standards.

With four goals and three assists in 22 appearances so far — 17 of them starts — the Hale End product is on course for his lowest direct contributions since 2020-21, when he scored five and assisted three in 30 league starts and 32 appearances overall.

Despite his flaws and a campaign that can best be described as a mixed bag, Madueke has evolved from an expensive burden into a functional weapon.

As the Gunners chase a first league title in a generation, the man who once divided a fanbase may yet unite them in May.