Noni Madueke has opened up on his chat with Conor Gallagher before taking the crucial penalty that fired Chelsea to a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
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Article continues below
Article continues below
- Madueke shouldered responsibility for scoring from the spot
- Drilled in from 12 yards to give Chelsea win over Palace
- Admitted that Blues need to be more consistent
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The Blues initially took the lead with Mykhailo Mudryk's early goal but went into halftime level after Michael Olise's equaliser in first-half stoppage time. However, Chelsea's persistence in the second period paid off, with Madueke winning the decisive penalty in the last minute after drawing a foul from Olise following a corner. After VAR confirmed that it was indeed an infringement inside the box, the winger took hold of the ball and assured Gallagher that he would score from 12 yards in what was the decisive blow to Palace.
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WHAT MADUEKE SAID TO GALLAGHER
Speaking to Chelsea's official channels after the match, Madueke said: "It was always gonna be mine, I’m confident, confident from the spot so yeah. I just told him [Gallagher] don’t worry I’ll score. I scored one earlier this season [against AFC Wimbledon]. So when I saw the VAR give the penalty, there was no doubt in my mind that I would take it."
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Madueke has found it difficult to nail down a starting berth under Mauricio Pochettino as he has struggled with a couple of muscle injuries since the start of the campaign. He admitted that it has been a rough start to his journey in west London but vowed to make an "impact" whenever he is handed the opportunity by the manager.
"It’s been a stop-start campaign for me," he said. "I’ve had little niggles, little injuries, things that haven’t quite gone my way. I'm happy to have an impact off the bench today and whether I start the next game – or have the same impact off the bench – is up to the manager."
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DID YOU KNOW?
Madueke has made just 10 appearances this season, mostly from the bench, and the strike against Palace was his first Premier League goal of the season. He now has two strikes to his name across all competitions, both from the spot.
