Morning News: Noni Madueke’s Chelsea moment before Christopher Nkunku’s penalty against Club America was significant.
Christopher Nkunku has been exceptional for Chelsea during their United States tour. However, if his teammate Noni Madueke had his way, Nkunku might not have taken the successful penalty against Club America at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Following stops in California and Indiana, Chelsea continued their U.S. tour on Wednesday night (UK time), quickly taking control against their Mexican opponents. Nkunku and an own goal put them 2-0 ahead within 30 minutes in Atlanta.
Nkunku, who had already scored against Wrexham and Celtic, netted his third goal of the summer—and his second from the penalty spot—demonstrating his accuracy from 12 yards. Yet, the 26-year-old forward nearly missed the chance to take that penalty.
With Chelsea’s usual penalty taker, Cole Palmer, absent as he recovers from Euro 2024 disappointment, Nkunku has taken over spot-kick duties, aiming to compensate for his previous injury setbacks. So far, the former PSG player has been flawless.
When Chelsea was awarded their latest penalty, England U21 international Madueke initially held the ball and clearly wanted to take the shot. Madueke might have succeeded if not for the intervention of summer signing Tosin Adarabioyo, who ensured the ball ended up with Nkunku.
There is value in distributing penalty responsibilities among players, especially to help attackers gain confidence in pre-season matches. However, having a consistent and reliable penalty taker is beneficial, as shown by Palmer last season. Nkunku seems to be just as dependable, despite Madueke’s intentions. Tosin’s involvement highlights his quick integration into Enzo Maresca’s team.