Noni Madueke was booed at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as he returned to his old stomping ground with Arsenal to face Chelsea, and some Blues players have turned on their former team-mate
Noni Madueke’s bonds with several Chelsea stars, including Marc Cucurella, now seem to be in tatters after the England international’s summer switch to Arsenal. The 23-year-old was introduced in the 57th minute during Arsenal’s encounter with Chelsea on Sunday, but his homecoming was far from cordial.
Stamford Bridge thundered with jeers as his name echoed around the ground. Cole Palmer was going through his warm-up routine on the touchline when Madueke entered the fray, and the Chelsea ace was seen giving a subtle nod of agreement to the supporters’ hostile reception.
However, Palmer wasn’t alone in seemingly losing his fondness for his ex-colleague. Enzo Fernandez and Cucurella were both caught taunting the Arsenal winger throughout the match.
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The Argentine crashed into Madueke with a crunching tackle that floored the Gunners star. Fernandez then appeared to bellow in Madueke’s direction whilst he remained sprawled on the pitch, with Cucurella getting involved and seemingly screaming his way as both Chelsea stars displayed their passionate nature, reports Football London.
However, it wasn’t that long since the Spanish defender was demonstrating his support for Madueke during testing times at Chelsea. Last December, Cucurella received his marching orders during a 2-1 victory against Brentford.
The Spaniard had found the net in that fixture, but the dismissal risked overshadowing the full-back’s afternoon. Following the encounter, Cucurella posted an image of himself and Madueke in celebration, with the caption: “Mandem.”
It had been Madueke who provided the cross for Cucurella’s header. Fast forward a year, and the dynamic between the pair has completely transformed.
Madueke will be aiming to get the last laugh this season as Arsenal pursue their first Premier League title in over two decades. Following the match, Mikel Arteta shared his thoughts on the emotional rollercoaster of the game.
Speaking to Arsenal.com, he said: “That was a big week and a really intense and emotional match today. You could sense from the beginning how much was at stake, two teams putting everything into every action.
“It was more of a battle in the first few minutes especially. There was a lot of interruption, a lot of intervention from the referee, and that changed the context of the game.
“We had four yellow cards, they had [Moises] Caicedo out, and in that moment we have to settle the game. There was an opportunity to do it at half-time, we didn’t use it because immediately in the first action we concede a foul, a wide free-kick, a corner and a goal.
“Then emotionally we have to overcome that situation after everything we’ve been through this week. The team tried its best, and scored a great goal.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca believes his team shouldn’t be disheartened by the 1-1 draw. He explained: “I think sometimes you have to be happy even with one point,” adding, “For sure, the target was to win the game.
“Again, 11 vs 11, I think we were better than them. We managed the game, controlled the game, didn’t concede chances. The red card changed the dynamic, but the way the players dealt with that was fantastic.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
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