England managed to beat Croatia 4-2 in their opening World Cup group stage game on Wednesday, with Noni Madueke starting on the right.
Madueke partnered with Reece James on that flank, a combination that Chelsea fans are very familiar with.
The two played together at Stamford Bridge before Madueke left Chelsea for London rivals Arsenal last year.
James is a world-class footballer and plays in a different position to Madueke, so there is probably not much that he can learn from him. However, it is another story for someone else who plays for the Blues.
They’ve both made good starts to the World Cup, but who do you prefer: Noni Madueke or Pedro Neto?
Who's the better player and why? 🤔
Pedro Neto should try to imitate Noni Madueke’s playing style
Madueke’s former Chelsea teammate Pedro Neto has made a bright start to this World Cup. He set up Joao Neves’ header in Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo with an excellent cross.
Neto is quite capable of putting in a dangerous ball, but at the same time, he can be a very frustrating player to watch.
The same goes for Madueke because of his end product, but the 24-year-old rarely disappoints when it comes to being direct and taking on his man. It is his biggest strength, and everyone saw that against Croatia.
Madueke did not score, but he was arguably England’s biggest threat down that right-hand side as he ran at his full-back and into space when his opponent was not there.
According to Sofascore, the Arsenal man recorded eight carries, completed three progressive carries and registered one successful dribble. He also won England a penalty, created one big chance and made two key passes.
Does the above mean Chelsea should have kept Madueke and sold Neto instead? Not necessarily. Many Chelsea fans were quite happy to see the England star depart because of his inconsistency.
At the same time, though, Chelsea supporters are often critical of Neto’s tendency not to take on his man and go backwards. That is something Madueke would not even think about; his playing style does not let him. Neto can definitely learn from his old teammate and his latest England performance in that sense.
Roy Keane was not too impressed with Madueke in the Three Lions’ previous game after he missed a sitter. But you suspect that the Manchester United legend and England fans will be much happier with him this time around.
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