First of all, I would like to say that I have been very impressed with Noni Madueke’s performance so far this season, and he has definitely earned his place in Enzo Maresca’s ‘Best Xl’.
I can’t take anything away from him, I think he’s a good guy. But for me, it’s time to start before Pedro Neto purely because he takes us higher. I think overall he brings more than Madueke can bring, plus the latter is still very inconsistent in the final third and I’m not sure if that will change. But we have to acknowledge Madueke’s goals this season, they were very important.
When Neto signed for Chelsea it was an exciting arrival. Fans were excited. I was so excited. He signed the contract for a reason, now it’s time to communicate that reason.
As with Jadon Sancho, the signing of Neto was something I had wanted all summer and I was very happy to see us make that move. Sancho and Neto were proven, established players who could improve us from here and now. Sancho has taken more risks due to his form at Manchester United. But he’s had a good season at Dortmund and he’s a good catcher, and we’ve seen plenty of signs of that so far. Sancho was upgrading what we had.
And Neto was also upgrading what we had. I rate him slightly higher than Madueke.
I think Madueke is a very dangerous player and could still be very important for our team. But Neto should bring more and be a top-performing starter on the right side.
He showed this against Liverpool and soon became our most dangerous striker.
Not only is Neto a threat in attack, but it was his work-rate and combat that made him stand out in this cameo role.
He also made three key passes and completed 17 of 21 accurate passes in 45 minutes.
He was recently selected as the fastest player in the Premier League this season. It’s clear what he brings to the table.
I think he’s seriously banging on the door now. That’s how it should be. But I won’t be annoyed if Madueke continues. Because like I said, he’s been great this season and I will never ignore that or give him props. That person deserves flowers.
Again, having good strength in depth and options to have on the wings is a big deal. I applaud that.
