Micah Richards says Noni Madueke ‘looks like a brand new player’ after Arsenal’s 2-0 Premier League victory over Brentford on Wednesday.
Goals from Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka helped the Gunners defeat the Bees on the Emirates and proceed their push for the top-flight title.
Madueke began on the suitable wing and was involved in Merino’s goal with a backheel into the trail of overlapping right-back Ben White, who provided the assist.
The 23-year-old, a £48.5m summer signing from Chelsea, was taken off just after the hour mark together with his minutes being managed after a recent return from a knee injury.
Football pundit Richards has praised Madueke for his performance against Brentford and in addition spoke highly of White and goalkeeper David Raya.
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‘It wasn’t [the most scintillating team performance] but I believed the link up between White and Madueke down that side was was superb,’ Richards said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
‘Madueke looks like a brand new player. He got here from Chelsea. A variety of query marks perhaps because everyone expected [Mikel Arteta] to get a striker in they usually went for him early doors, but he’s really playing well now.
‘Saka can even have a rest knowing that Madueke can do the business. I believed White played rather well within the overlap.
‘Great link up for the goal for Merino. One other injury though, wasn’t it? Cristhian Mosquera. One other injury.
‘But they’re just getting it done efficiently and that’s all they should do. Raya pulled off one among the saves of the season.
‘Off the bar. In slow-mo it doesn’t look that great, but in real time [his] response was sensational.
‘But yeah, Arsenal are only getting it done. Brentford put up a very good fight.’
Shearer: It wasn’t comfortable for Arsenal
Fellow football pundit Alan Shearer, meanwhile, added: ‘I believed [Brentford] gave a great account of themselves.
‘Not many individuals thought they might go there and do anything and yeah,
I believe Arsenal were… I mean it actually wasn’t comfortable for Arsenal.
‘It was a hard-earned three points for them. He made one or two changes, Mikel Arteta, but they’re the most effective team they usually’re essentially the most consistent.
‘They should be at the highest where they’re they usually’re the team which can be going to take some beating, because even once they didn’t play that well, it it was nearly getting the victory.
‘We all know you possibly can’t play well every game. Sometimes you’ve just got to get the result and that was the case for Arsenal.’
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