Noni Madueke just took a page from Christos Tzolis' playbook at Anfield

Christos Tzolis marked his return from injury by starting for Arsenal against Anfield. Before this game, the Gunners had gone 14 years without beating Liverpool away from home, so the pressure was on Madueke, to say the least!

Madueke was tasked with filling in for Bukayo Saka, who has been out injured for weeks now. It is quite easy to roll your eyes at Madueke, since he is often the scapegoat for Arsenal's shortcomings, but I sure hope anyone who has hated on Madueke in the past is the loudest to praise him today.

Noni Madueke learned from Christos Tzolis against Liverpool

Both of Arsenal's wingers were exceptional today, and they needed to be. Heading into the game, Liverpool's fullbacks were clearly their weak points, and it was an opportunity for Arsenal. Unfortunately, it was an opportunity that only their wingers could exploit, and neither Christos Tzolis nor Madueke filled Arsenal fans with much hope heading into the game.

Despite the low expectations, both Tzolis and Madueke provided the goods for Arsenal at Anfield. We already knew that Tzolis was able to take on a direct and impactful approach on the wing, with chance creation and probing dribbles being his forte, but nobody expected the same from Madueke.

The key theme of Liverpool vs Arsenal was crossing, at both ends of the pitch, and from either side. It was a low cross that gifted Kai Havertz his opening goal, and crosses were played here, there and everywhere.

Would you believe me if I said that no player on the pitch created more chances than Madueke (3)?

You probably wouldn't. After all, the biggest criticism against Madueke is that he lacks an end product. He is often mocked for having all the skills but freezing when it matters most. That didn't happen today, and he deserves to be praised for it.

Madueke saw what Tzolis was doing out on Arsenal's right side and brought it to the left. Arsenal rarely got the chance to flurry forward, but when they did, Noni Madueke made things happen. Ultimately, he won't be credited with a goal or an assist, but don't let that distract you from Madueke's exceptional performance.

Noni Madueke's performance vs Liverpool