Matt is an experienced sports journalist and Senior Editor at Football FanCast with 15 years of experience covering football across the Premier League, EFL and Scottish football. Since joining the publication in 2019, he has progressed from writer to Assistant Editor and Senior Editor, a position he has held since 2021.  

A Sports Journalism graduate, Matt previously served as Arsenal and Premier League Editor at VAVEL and gained club-media experience with Chesterfield FC. His journalism has appeared through the Press Association, with his work featured by Sky Sports and the Daily Mail.
 

Throughout his career, Matt has interviewed prominent football figures including Arsène Wenger, Ray Parlour, Alan Smith, Lucy Bronze and Steph Houghton, while also appearing on Arsenal Fan TV and Love Sport Radio.
 

Today, Matt leads Football FanCast's features team, overseeing opinion coverage, editorial standards and content strategy while continuing to provide detailed football analysis.

Over the summer, Andrea Berta failed Mikel Arteta in his quest to improve Arsenal's frontline.

Christos Tzolis may well have arrived from Club Brugge for £34m, but this was a transfer window that simply promised so much more after a first Premier League title in 22 years.

Vinicius Junior became the headline target but he ultimately stayed put at Real Madrid after signing a new contract at the Bernabeu.

With another key target in Morgan Rogers heading to Chelsea, it ultimately meant the Gunners were left short of genuine quality in the window.

Tzolis aside, they kept their powder dry, but it remains to be seen whether that was a good decision or not.

At the moment, it's not looking like the wisest of ideas. Still, Noni Madueke is coming good and all of a sudden, he looks like one of the most dangerous wingers in the world.

How Madueke has transformed his Arsenal career

Just over a year ago, Madueke was made an instant scapegoat. Arsenal's track record when it comes to signing players from Chelsea hasn't been great and as a result, fan protests were launched against the signing.

That was a tad extreme, but supporters were unsurprised when the winger struggled to make an impression during his debut year at the Emirates Stadium.

Last term, the 24-year-old scored just three goals in 26 Premier League games and struggled to usurp Bukayo Saka. Truthfully, he was never brought in to replace Saka, but Arsenal needed more from the £52m arrival.

Well, in 2026/27, they are finally starting to see why Arteta wanted him. He's fast becoming one of the most exciting wingers around and has, at last, shown why he deserves to be an Arsenal player.

Saka's injury against Bayern Munich a few weeks ago could have been the catalyst for the English champions to fall away but that has not happened, largely due to Madueke.

His performance levels in recent weeks have been exceptional, notably scoring against Nottingham Forest and Slavia Prague, as well as producing a vital contribution against Hull last weekend.

In that game, he ran the Tigers' defence ragged, completing four key passes and six dribbles. It was his shot that also led to Martin Odegaard's winner.

At last, Madueke is coming of age. No player has created more chances per 90 minutes (3.57) in the Premier League this season. He's a real menace.

Why Madueke will still be looking over his shoulder

As a result of Saka's injury, the former Chelsea man is now one of the first names on the team sheet and he is set to remain in possession of that right-wing berth for a while. He more than deserves it.

Sometimes all you need is a bit of good fortune and he's certainly received that since the last international break.

He's not just profited from Saka's fitness but also from Max Dowman's indiscipline. While Madueke was always likely to be the man to benefit most from their starboy's layoff, it was also a chance for Dowman to prove his worth. He has not done that.

All of the press surrounding the 16-year-old had been positive until that nightmare trip to Fleetwood. As the Gunners eventually crashed out of the Carabao Cup on penalties, they did so with ten men after Dowman's red card. Arteta was fuming with the teenager as he trudged off the pitch.

He will no doubt learn from that and become a better player but he will have to get past Saka and Madueke first.

In time, he will do so. After all, this is a generational talent, a player with the ability to become a £100m player in the future. Expectations must be tempered, but we've seen very few young players make as big an impact as he. It's like when Lamine Yamal broke through at Barcelona; that's how good the English talent is.

In fact, World Cup winner Mikel Merino has already compared the two. "There are some similarities in terms of their character," Merino said earlier this year.

"They don't care about the spotlight. They thrive when pressure is at its highest. They are always up for the challenge and they are not shy at all - even facing the biggest names in the game."

While Dowman has yet to become a regular, he has made some game-changing impacts. That goal against Everton last season that made him the youngest scorer in Premier League history will never be forgotten.

Against more senior pros, he's not overawed. That red card against Fleetwood, while a negative, proved that he doesn't care who he's playing against. He's fearless.

Whether it's in the academy or at first-team level, the teenager is always ready and waiting to make an impact.

He is a complete talent who is "generational" in the words of former Arsenal defender Matt Upson. "I don't think I've seen a 15 or 16-year-old step onto the scene and look as good as him for a long time. He looks very special," Upson continued.

That rather says it all. Arteta has a wonderful player at his disposal here and it's scary to think how good he could be in two to three years' time. Madueke needs to watch out.