They didn't want him in July. Five months later in December, they were singing his name. Noni Madueke's brace had inspired Arsenal to a 3-0 win over Club Brugge and made a mockery of the #NoToMadueke campaign in July.
The online petition to prevent Arsenal from signing Madueke this summer was sneered at as the work of a tiny minority, and not loyal match-going fans. Examine it closer however, and there was a modicum of merit to it. Madueke was no stranger to Arsenal fans -- he had captained Tottenham's youth sides, tormented Arsenal's defenders in a Chelsea shirt, and had even scored against Mikel Arteta's side. He'd not set the world alight at Chelsea, and the reported fee of £52 million meant there was every reason for this transfer to not work out.
On the pitch, Madueke had ignored the critics and started the season on fire, for both club and country, before a knee injury came at the worst possible time, just as he was beginning to cement his place in the Arsenal lineup in September. Returning in November, Madueke was quietly working himself back into form. Club Brugge were awkward opponents -- their 4-1 dismantling of Monaco and a 3-3 draw against Barcelona in this season's UEFA Champions League meant Arsenal had to watch out. All the more so given the club's injury problems and an agonising last-gasp defeat against Aston Villa over the weekend.
In the 25th minute of the game, Martin Zubimendi, dropping into Arsenal's back-line, spread the ball wide to Madueke on the right wing. It wasn't a particularly ambitious ball, and the English winger had to receive it about 15 yards from the half-way line. Facing up to Joaquin Seys a little sideways, Madueke took a few touches and shaped up to play a square pass, but it was only a pretence.
Seys dived in, taking the bait, and Madueke rolled the ball away from his outstretched leg, before cutting inside past the Belgian defender. Seys tried valiantly to stay tight, but Madueke was too strong, shrugging him off with ease before setting off on his way towards goal.
Four sensational strikes on Wednesday ��
Madueke, Dolberg, Martinelli, or Gaaei... which was your favourite? ����@Heineken | #UCLGOTD pic.twitter.com/aYZj1fe2Kg
- UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 10, 2025
Raphael Onyedika, a few yards away, saw his teammate eating dust and chased after Madueke. The Nigerian midfielder attempted to use his strength in clawing Madueke back, but the Arsenal man was once more too strong and too fast, breaking away from an attempt to haul him back before charging at goal once more.
It was now Brugge centre-back Joel Ordóñez's turn to try and stop the raging bull that was Madueke, but he held back, choosing to block his angles for a far-post curler, or a diagonal through ball to Gabriel Martinelli. In choosing to pause and hold position on the edge of the box, Ordóñez afforded Madueke a small gap for a near-post shot, and that was all the Englishman needed.
There was none of his trademark curl and guise with this shot, Madueke put his laces through the ball and let fly, about 25 yards out. The thunderbolt flew past Dani van den Heuvel (making his UCL debut) in the Brugge net, cannoned off the underside of the bar and bounced into the net. The sound rippled through the Jan Breydel stadium, as Arsenal's small band of travelling support erupted in joy as the home crowd were stunned into silence.
The ball in the net, Madueke veered off to celebrate with the bench, now firmly home. A few of those fans who had perhaps signed that petition in the summer were in the stands, singing his name. All of his history as a Lilywhite youth captain, a Blues winger now forgotten -- Madueke was firmly red-and-white.
Bukayo Saka is as untouchable a name in the Arsenal starting XI, but if Madueke continues with these 'magic moments' as his manager, Mikel Arteta put it, there could very well be another online petition for him to be the first-choice starter for Arsenal.