Noni Madueke has been recast at Arsenal, moving from the audition process for the left wing to a new role on the right with even more responsibility, following Bukayo Saka's quad injury that could keep him out for eight weeks.
Madueke had been competing with Eberechi Eze for the left wing shirt, potentially only until Christos Tzolis returns in the next week or so. That plan has been shelved, as Arsenal are now in the market for a new leading attacker on the right to cover for Saka.
Madueke in pole position for the right wing
Madueke is in pole position to make that shirt his own. With matches against both Manchester clubs, Liverpool, Tottenham, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid this side of Christmas, there are big stages ahead from which to impress.
The first match without Saka, a 2-0 win over Everton, served as a duel audition of sorts for Madueke. Thomas Tuchel was in attendance at the Emirates Stadium, and Madueke, left out of the last England squad, was one of the few to remain at Arsenal's training ground over the extended three-week break.
Madueke will want to prove he can cover for Saka not just for club but for country too, and this was a very promising start.
Confidence and encouragement from teammates
There is a real effort from not just Mikel Arteta but the Arsenal players as well to keep Madueke's confidence up. He is a player that blows hot and cold, and Arsenal need him to deliver over the next couple of months.
When one attack broke down in the first half after a loose pass, Madueke threw his head up in disappointment. Arteta sprinted to the edge of his technical area in front of the winger, applauding him, and Martin Odegaard was similarly encouraging.
Madueke's relationship with Ben White is, unsurprisingly, a long way off the combination that the right-back has with Bukayo Saka, after so many seasons playing together. On one occasion, White voiced his frustration at Madueke not playing him in on the overlap, and a couple of minutes later the pair had another lengthy exchange.
A volume player with a promising display
Madueke is not a ruthlessly efficient winger in his decision making or execution, but he is a volume player. He will try and try again, some will be good, some will be bad, and sometimes the chaos in itself is enough.
In the first half, he turned sharply and drove into the box, dragging a shot just wide. Shortly after, he brought a ball down out of the sky brilliantly, swivelled and fired a shot into the side-netting. To say Madueke was having fun would be an understatement. When Vitaliy Mykolenko took a heavy touch to gift Arsenal a corner, Madueke literally laughed in his face for about five seconds.
The winger was quieter in the second half, but it was a positive sign for him that when Max Dowman came on for the final ten minutes, Arteta brought Eberechi Eze off and moved Madueke to the left. Strangely, Madueke spent the majority of the eight minutes of stoppage-time playing at left-back. Riccardo Calafiori came on but finished the match standing up front and then ran straight down the tunnel at full-time.
Madueke was handed the extra defensive responsibility and it was almost impossible for him to switch off. As Merlin Rohl shaped up to swing a cross in, Ezri Konsa shouted at Madueke to tell him that was his man. When Tyler Dibling briefly had space out wide seconds later, Gabriel screamed "Noni!" from the centre of the box. Madueke got by with a little help from his friends.
