Mikel Arteta has shared a surprisingly honest reflection on the fan petition against Arsenal’s move for Noni Madueke, explaining that it ended up pushing him to support the winger even more. The petition, which gathered more than five thousand signatures under the tag #NoToMadueke, questioned the ambition behind signing a young attacker from Chelsea.
Coverage from SoftFootball, including their report on Arsenal’s strong 3-1 win over Bayern Munich at the Emirates, highlighted how expectations around the team continue to rise. Madueke himself felt energised ahead of the Chelsea clash after scoring in that Bayern win, showing how quickly the narrative around him has shifted.
Arteta said the petition did not discourage him in a post shared by Fabrizio Romano on his official X account. Instead, it created a stronger sense of responsibility to make the transfer work.
Fabrizio Romano posted:
Mikel Arteta on No to Madueke petition: If anything… it gave me more conviction and more will to help him.
Do everything we possibly could to make his relationship work and to prepare everything around him in the best possible way.
It was like fuel to him.
He described how the noise around the move increased his focus on helping Madueke settle, ensuring the environment around him was right, and paying attention to every detail that could give the winger confidence.
In his words, the reaction from fans eventually flipped and became something that fuelled Madueke rather than slowed him. The early negativity faded quickly once the winger arrived. Arteta said supporters soon changed their tune, especially after seeing Madueke’s attitude up close.
He cut his holiday short just to join pre-season early, which the manager found impressive for someone still trying to win over a new crowd. Arteta insisted the petition never really affected him, and Madueke handled everything with a calm mindset.
His season took a sharp turn in September when he picked up a knee injury, keeping him out for weeks, but he returned with real impact. Coming off the bench to score against Bayern in November, he showed sharp movement and worked well in different positions during the match.
That goal, plus the confidence he played with, immediately put him back into the conversation for a starting spot. With Leandro Trossard uncertain for the upcoming match at Stamford Bridge, Madueke now looks like a strong option.
Arteta likes his versatility on both wings and the slightly different threat he brings compared to the rest of the squad. For a player once doubted by his own potential fanbase, the story has already taken quite a turn.
