Noni Madueke said he is “really happy” to be away with his Arsenal team-mates on England duty, in another sign of the club’s growing influence within Thomas Tuchel’s squad.
Noni Madueke says Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final disappointment has not altered his immediate focus with England, as the winger set out a clear message about handling setbacks, competing with Bukayo Saka and trying to become a more decisive player ahead of the World Cup.
Madueke, still in his first season since joining Arsenal from Chelsea in July 2025 on a five-year contract, spoke at length during England duty about where he stands and what he wants from the months ahead.
After Arsenal’s Carabao Cup final defeat, Madueke said his focus had quickly turned to England and the challenge of the international break. “Listen, my focus now is on England for sure,” he said. “Of course it’s difficult, those type of games but you take it in your stride, you can’t sulk, you have to carry on. We’ve got important games for England coming up, which I’m fully focused on to try and do my best and when we get back to club it’ll be the final push to try and finish where we want to.”
Madueke was also asked about Bukayo Saka, with the two competing for places on the right for both Arsenal and England. The winger did not present that as a personal rivalry, instead stressing the bigger picture. “Of course it’s competition,” he said. “You guys probably see that more than we do. We don’t see it like that. We play for Arsenal and England and we’ve got the collective at the forefront of our minds all the time.” He added: “Of course he’s a top player, someone I’m very close to and I’m glad I get to play with him for both club and country.”
He also expanded on that relationship, saying: “I feel like when you play for a team like Arsenal and you play for England, competition is just a given. It’s something that is always there at the highest level in football. Anyone who knows us or sees us knows we have a mutual love and respect for each other. There are bits of his game that I try to take, and I think there are bits of mine he tries to take as well. We’re very, very close and we know that, regardless of who is playing or anything like that, we are meant to be pulling in the same direction and that is not going to change.”
Madueke also spoke about his own game in a way that offered a useful insight into how he sees himself under both Tuchel and Mikel Arteta. “It’s an ongoing process, of course I want to get to the point in my career where I’m very prolific in front of goal, I’m not there yet, but I’m sure I will be in years to come,” he said.
Taken together, Madueke’s press conference painted a fairly clear picture. He is not presenting himself as guaranteed anything, either at Arsenal or with England.
But he is talking like a player who believes he is moving into a more mature phase of his career, one who understands the competition around him and sees both Tuchel and Arteta asking for the same basic thing: put the team first, trust your strengths and be decisive when the moment comes.