Chelsea forward of Nigerian descent Noni Madueke recounted a humorous exchange with teammate Trevoh Chalobah after “stealing” what could have been the defender’s goal during their 3-1 Premier League victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.
The win cemented Chelsea’s position in fourth place with 40 points, trailing Nottingham Forest and Arsenal by four and leaders Liverpool by ten.
The match began with Tosin Adarabioyo, another player of Nigerian descent, putting Chelsea ahead in the 24th minute.
Wolves equalized just before halftime through Matt Doherty’s stoppage-time strike. Chelsea regained momentum in the second half as Marc Cucurella scored in the 60th minute, followed by Madueke’s controversial finish five minutes later.
Madueke, in his post-match remarks, joked about his instinctive decision to tap in Chalobah’s header that seemed bound for the net. “It’s attacker’s instinct. I knew it was going in, but I said sorry to Trev. He’s my brother, though, and we laughed it off.”
Despite the banter, Madueke commended Chalobah’s performance, praising his leadership and defensive contributions.
“He was unbelievable: leadership, character, bravery on the ball,” Madueke noted.
“The system from the manager is difficult to play and he slotted in seamlessly. I’m really delighted for him. It’s not a coincidence players like him and Reece [James] are back in and we won the game. They’re Chelsea through and through and they helped us with their leadership for sure.”
