Noni Madueke shows Chelsea talent but must meet Enzo Maresca's demands | OneFootball

Winger scored against Wolves but was again publicly called out by his manager over work ethic

It was a night that so encapsulated Noni Madueke and the player he is. He scored a goal and played a major part in another, yet his performance still left a lot to be desired and culminated in a fresh helping of criticism from his own manager.

Shortly after his cross from the right was nodded on by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and volleyed in by Marc Cucurella, Madueke himself made it 3-1 and wrapped up three much-needed points for the Blues when he darted to the back post to glance in Trevoh Chalobah’s goal-bound header on the line.

“He scored a goal, but he can improve in the final third,” Maresca made sure to point out after Chelsea’s first Premier League win in 36 days.

“We just try always to help them to improve. After the goal, he was probably a little bit tired, but it’s the moment we need to go for more.”

Here was advice that Madueke should heed, especially given it is not the first time his work ethic has been called into question by the Italian this season.

Under Tuchel as much as any manager, players must deliver consistently tireless and polished displays. There will be no opportunities to add to his five England caps under Lee Carsley if Madueke does not apply himself more.

But this is not just about hard graft. Maresca was right to also question Madueke’s decision-making in the final third, where all too often the winger is intent on shooting when a pass or cross would better suit the team.

So keen is Madueke to impress Maresca and keep hold of that coveted right-wing berth that only Joao Felix — who has featured a lot less — is taking more shots per 90 minutes than Madueke in the Premier League this season among all Chelsea players. And yet Madueke’s shots only hit the target 39.3 per cent of the time, less frequently than Nicolas Jackson, for whom the goals have dried up.

Madueke scored a surprise hat-trick in the reverse fixture against Wolves earlier in the season, with his other goals having come against Nottingham Forest, bottom-of-the-league Southampton, and lowly Servette in a Conference League qualifier back in August. Turning up more regularly in the biggest games is another checkpoint that he must reach.

Madueke said he knew for sure that Chalobah’s header was going in but felt compelled to make the third goal his. “It’s attacking instinct,” he explained. “He [Chalobah] was saying ‘no way, you took my goal’, but I said ‘you have to understand, this is what they pay me for’.”

True, to some extent, but Chelsea also want smart decisions from Madueke in the final third, not just tap-ins. Numbers tell only half the story.

Madueke knows well that £54million Pedro Neto is waiting impatiently in the wings and Brazilian wonderkid Estevao Willian is also due to join in the summer to provide yet more competition on the right.

It was a mixed bag of an evening for Madueke, on the scoresheet but off the pace for long periods. He must now respond to his manager’s call to action.