Chelsea winger Noni Madueke has responded positively to manager Enzo Maresca’s recent criticism of his training levels, following the Blues’ commanding 5-1 victory over Southampton. Maresca had previously called out the 21-year-old for not showing enough intensity in training and lacking a ruthless edge in front of goal.
Despite being benched for the win over Aston Villa, Madueke made an immediate impact against Southampton, contributing a goal and an assist to help Chelsea secure an impressive three points. However, Maresca did not shy away from pointing out Madueke’s need for improvement in certain areas.
Madueke, who has been a regular starter for Chelsea this season, fully embraced the manager’s frank approach, praising Maresca for his “honest and truthful” style of management.
“He is honest and truthful,” Madueke said of Maresca. “He tells the truth and he is a man you can trust. That’s all you want from a coach. He is not necessarily a coach that is trying to be best friends with everyone, but he is a coach that is straight with everyone and fair to everyone. That’s what you need at a top club like Chelsea.”
Madueke’s performance against Southampton, which saw Chelsea rise to second in the Premier League, showcased his ability to bounce back after being called out by his manager. Despite the strong win, Chelsea have downplayed talk of a potential title challenge, with Madueke stating that the team is focused on continuous improvement rather than looking too far ahead.
“Of course, we are up for [the title race], whether we are in it or not is a different question,” Madueke admitted. “However, we are taking every game as it comes. We are trying to progress and trying to get better. We are focusing on ourselves, really, and really trying to improve.”
The winger added that while the team was delighted with the win, they know there is still plenty of room for improvement. “We won 5-1 and in the dressing room, we are very happy with that, but we also know that we can be a lot better. It’s really focusing on us, focusing on training, and trying to improve.”
Chelsea’s emphatic victory saw them move ahead of title rivals Arsenal on goal difference, and with the team continuing to focus on their development, fans are hopeful that this momentum will carry them further up the table as the season progresses.
