Neville Eats His Words as Madueke Shines for Arsenal

Right, let’s get straight to it: Gary Neville has performed the old pundit’s U-turn after watching Noni Madueke light up Arsenal’s early matches. It’s the kind of reversal you see when a player drops his suit jacket, gets a proper run-out and suddenly looks the part — and that’s exactly what Madueke has done since swapping Chelsea for north London.

Bright start for the Gunners

Arsenal have kicked off the 2025/26 campaign in promising fashion, taking wins at Old Trafford and then running riot with five past Leeds at the Emirates. They were beaten at Anfield by Liverpool, but anyone who watched the game would tell you the scoreline flattered the Reds; Arteta’s men arguably had the better of large spells.

Noni Madueke: from target for criticism to match-winner

Madueke’s arrival for around £48.5million sparked a fair bit of noise — a petition even circulated calling into question the move. Fast-forward a few weeks and that chorus of doubt has quietened. The 23-year-old has started two of Arsenal’s last three Premier League fixtures after beginning the season on the bench and, by the look of it, is becoming a real weapon on the right flank.

He’s shown genuine top-level bursts of pace and directness that make full-backs sit up — a different player to the one some of us saw at Chelsea. That kind of change will make any sceptic swallow a few words.

Neville’s change of heart

Speaking on The Overlap, Neville admitted he understood the thinking behind Chelsea’s decision to move him on, but conceded that Madueke’s performances in an Arsenal shirt — and in recent England appearances — have altered his view. The pundit even suggested Madueke’s form poses a tactical quandary for Arteta: with Bukayo Saka capable of playing left, could the manager shuffle his front line to accommodate both players?

That’s an interesting point. Gabriel Martinelli has had a quieter period, and Saka’s versatility might be the key. You could envision Saka moving inside or switching flanks during games, letting Madueke exploit the right-hand channel. It’s the sort of fluidity Arteta loves.

What’s next?

Madueke will be desperate to open his Arsenal account when Nottingham Forest come to the Emirates on Saturday — Ange Postecoglou brings an energetic and unpredictable side that will test the Gunners. If Madueke carries on like this, he won’t just be a novelty signing — he’ll be a central figure in what looks like a serious tilt at the title.

And for punters keeping an eye on the markets, you can weigh up the odds at best betting sites — although I’d rather judge form on the pitch than on a price-tag alone.

Ultimately, Neville’s volte-face is a reminder that players can be reinvented. Arsenal knew what they were doing when they signed Madueke — and the early returns suggest this one might just have been a stroke of genius rather than a gamble.