Chelsea finally broke their five-match winless streak in the Premier League with a 3-1 victory over Wolves, thanks to goals from Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Cucurella, and Noni Madueke.
The match was a much-needed boost for Enzo Maresca’s side as they took on a Wolves team struggling just above the relegation zone in 17th place.
Although Chelsea controlled much of the game, Wolves briefly threatened to turn things around by equalizing just before halftime against the run of play.
However, Chelsea quickly regained the lead in the second half, with Marc Cucurella scoring on his 100th league appearance.
His goal came after an excellent build-up involving Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Noni Madueke.
Shortly afterward, Madueke doubled the home team’s advantage with a close-range header, marking his seventh goal of the season.
He played 84 minutes before being substituted for academy graduate Tyrique George.
Despite his decisive contributions, manager Enzo Maresca was not entirely satisfied with Madueke’s performance and called for improvement.
Maresca criticized the England international for his lack of effort following his goal, saying, “He can improve in the last third, but probably after he scored the goal, he stopped playing. This is something we need to fix immediately.
Never be satisfied with one or two goals; you always have to push for more.
After he scored, he stopped playing a bit, and it’s something we have to address.”
He further explained, “We just try to help them improve. After scoring, maybe he was tired, but that’s when we need to push harder.”
This is not the first time Maresca has publicly challenged Madueke.
Last month, the Italian manager expressed concerns about the 22-year-old’s consistency and work ethic, explaining why he was benched during the win against Aston Villa.
Maresca stated, “Noni can do much more.
Once he scores or assists and feels satisfied, his performance level dips.
That’s why he wasn’t playing, because I didn’t like how he trained.”
He continued, “He must train well every day and stay ambitious.
Scoring one goal tonight is not enough; he should aim for a second and a third. He must provide more assists too.”
Three weeks later, Maresca reinforced his stance when Madueke was left out of the squad for the Fulham match.
Explaining the decision, Maresca said, “Noni Madueke was not even on the bench due to a technical decision. No injury. Selection.”
Despite these criticisms, Madueke has taken the feedback positively.
Speaking to Chelsea’s official website in September, he said, “I see it as a positive.
He wants to push me and ensure I get the best out of myself in every training session.”
Madueke added, “Top players give their all every single day, and that’s exactly what I aspire to do as well.”
