Mikel Arteta has backed Noni Madueke to show his real quality and deliver for Arsenal when they need him most. Madueke, 24, has been hit-and-miss since joining Arsenal in a £52m move from Chelsea in the summer of 2025.
The England winger has struggled to hold down a regular place at the Emirates amid competition from Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Christos Tzolis. Madueke has also lost his England place after being dropped for the first squad since the World Cup as he tries to rediscover his form.
Madueke set for run of games
But Arteta says that Madueke now has a big opportunity in the next few weeks with Tzolis out injured and he believes the former Chelsea winger will take his chance. Gunners boss Arteta said: “If we give the possibility to any player to give him two or three or four games in a row, I think everybody will appreciate that because they will get more familiar with the players, more minutes, more confidence.
“If things go well, that is the ideal thing to do with all of them. He had a few and he will have more minutes in the next few games. I am sure that we will start to see a closer version of Noni at the highest level.”
Madueke has always looked better on the right wing, cutting onto his favored left foot. But he started on the left against Leeds and will probably do the same against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Arteta insists that Madueke can adapt and also be effective on either side especially as he can get some momentum with a run of games. Arteta said: “It’s down to necessities as well, sometimes, more than probably tactical decisions so far with him. I think he can play in both positions. He offers something completely different.
“Obviously now we have the necessity of a player on the left side with different qualities than Ebs as well, that can complement all the other unit we have on that left hand side. It’s great because he is comfortable there, he is enjoying playing there, and he is doing well. It’s a good solution.
“That's what we want, players to be available and robust enough to be available always but if they're not, somebody else. The good thing is that when someone has come in, whether that's Ebs or Noni they have performed.”
Forest test ahead
Arteta has had a miserable recent record at Forest’s City Ground - just one win from five visits - and the last two have been two goalless draws. They will be looking to improve on that and Arteta says they must take encouragement from back to back wins since the international break.
“We have responded really well in the last two games, two very good performances and results,” said Arteta. “Now we just focus on the game against Forest which I know is going to be a really tough one.”
Gyokeres urged to find form
There was also a challenge for Viktor Gyokeres who has yet to score for Arsenal this season and looks off the pace as he has been behind Kai Havertz in the pecking order. But Arteta says it is down to Gyokeres to repeat his prolific form for Sweden as he even made Nations League history by scoring in six consecutive games in the competition.
Arteta added: “These are moments in a player's career, or in a season, I would say. And we are trying to help him as much as possible.
“The other day, I think, he had some very good moments. He's three or four times in front of goal with no keeper and the ball should arrive to him and it doesn't.
“And maybe you are talking about something else. But these are the strikers. It's very small margins. Scoring or not scoring changes the narrative, for sure not the perception of how much he can help the team.”
Arsenal predicted XI vs Nottingham Forest: Raya; Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Lewis-Skelly; Saka, Odegaard, Madueke; Havertz.
