Noni Madueke's time to shine at Chelsea? (Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea star Noni Madueke scored a goal that wasn’t enough to save England from defeat, as they were beaten 3-2 by Ukraine U21 in their Euro U21 qualification pursuit.
It was one of the most intense games, as Ukraine were already 2-0 up at halftime with Nazar Voloshyn’s low finish and a brilliant freekick by Oleh Ocheretko.
But the second half saw a changed England side, who fought back and scored through Madueke in the 67th minute and Charlie Cresswell in the 89th minute. Illia Kvasnytsya’s strike in the 94th minute sealed the game for Ukraine, and they edged out the U21 Three Lions.
Lee Carsley’s side came from behind to tie the score but came out disappointed when Kvasnytsya’s last-minute strike caused a massive upset for the England U21 side.
Their defeat comes after more than a year, as this side has lost only two games in their last 20 matches, the first since being beaten by Slovakia in June 2022.
They previously thrashed Serbia 9-1, and Madueke had two goals to his name and continued the trend against Ukraine.
They will face Serbia U21 on November 18, but Madueke’s performance has hopefully impressed Mauricio Pochettino, who will consider giving him the nod against Arsenal.
Madueke hasn’t seen much action for Chelsea this year, but that could change after his powerful performance for the England U21 team during Euro qualification. The 21-year-old scored three goals in his last two games for England U21, and hopefully that has given the Argentine manager cause to consider giving him a chance to play in the crucial match against Arsenal on October 21.
Cole Palmer’s injury that caused him to return home from representing the England U21 team might give Madueke a chance in Chelsea’s upcoming match. Raheem Sterling was most effective on the left side, so Pochettino will need to make a significant decision, and Madueke’s performance for the national team should help him make that decision.
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