Noni Madueke’s latest Arsenal outing offered a familiar reminder of what has made him such a striking presence this season: persistence, self-belief and an ability to keep forcing the issue even when the margins are tight.

“Being a footballer is not all highs,” Madueke once reflected. “In fact, it’s 50% lows.”

That outlook felt apt as he dealt with another setback from England manager Thomas Tuchel, who left him out of the squad for a second camp in a row. Yet the winger did not drift. Instead, he kept searching for space, repeatedly attacking Hull and refusing to ease off even when the contest threatened to settle into frustration.

His reward arrived after 72 minutes. Madueke found a small opening, let fly and forced Konstantinos Tzolakis into a save that dropped kindly for Martin Ødegaard to score the only goal of the game. Even before that decisive moment, Madueke had already shown the determination that has defined his recent rise, and he later passed up two more chances to add to the lead.

The wider context gives his contribution extra weight. Before the September international break, Madueke had played just 42 combined minutes in the Premier League and Champions League this season, despite being fit for every match. Mikel Arteta was blunt about his early level of influence, saying, “I haven’t liked too much what he was doing, and it was impacting the game”

After being left out by Tuchel, Madueke took a personal trainer on a warm weather break to refine his game. Arteta later said, “That’s Noni and that’s his mindset,” and then described him as “the best player” in training at London Colney. “He gave me no option not to select him.”

His recent run has also owed something to events around him, with chances opening up on both wings. But the way Madueke takes those moments matters just as much. He lives by what he calls a “healthy delusion”, and as he explained: “When that delusion comes in,” he once explained, “I feel like that’s when you can really reach new heights. You need it as a football player. You need it.”

That same belief, along with his “extreme faith in your ability,” carried him through the backlash around his arrival from Chelsea in the summer of 2025. Saul Isaksson-Hurst summed him up simply: “Noni is a mentality monster. He is so driven, sometimes you have to tell him to calm down. He is very aware, very astute.”

Arsenal stayed at the top of the Premier League after edging Hull City 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

For much of the afternoon, the home side found Hull difficult to break down. The breakthrough eventually came in the 72nd minute, when Noni Madueke’s effort was pushed into the path of Martin Ødegaard, and the captain reacted first to finish and settle the contest.

The result extended Arsenal’s best-ever start to a Premier League season. They now have 27 points from their first 10 matches, with nine wins and only one defeat.

It was not a fluent performance, but it was the kind that matters in a title race. Hull made the game uncomfortable, Arsenal were not at their sharpest, yet they still found a way to take all three points. That is often the difference between champions and the sides chasing them.

Ødegaard was the decisive figure. More commonly praised for his passing and creativity, he showed a different side here, finishing like a striker rather than a playmaker. Kai Havertz and substitute Viktor Gyökeres had struggled to provide that edge earlier in the match, which made the captain’s intervention all the more important.

There was also a reminder of Ødegaard’s wider value to the side. He has at times been judged on goals and assists, but this was a timely example of him taking responsibility when Arsenal needed someone to do so.

In the end, the numbers and the scoreline told the same story. Arsenal were not at their best, but they remained in control of the summit and continued to defend their crown with another narrow win.

Arsenal have been handed a welcome boost ahead of the international break after William Saliba was left out of Zinédine Zidane’s latest France squad.

Mikel Arteta made clear before the announcement that he had been in close contact with French officials over the defender’s situation. He said Arsenal had shared the relevant background before a final call was made, stressing that they had “all the information”.

The manager was also asked whether he would prefer Saliba to remain with Arsenal rather than link up with France. Arteta kept his response measured, saying: “I think it’s something between them more, because William needs minutes as well, I know how much he loves to be around the national team. [Zidane]’s a new manager, a really exciting one as well, so whatever he’s decided is fine for us.”

For Saliba, missing out may be disappointing, but the decision will almost certainly have been received with satisfaction inside Arsenal. The club spent much of last season managing his back injury and will be relieved to see him in a positive enough condition to have been in contention for France this month.

That does not mean the return should be rushed. After such a long spell on the sidelines, Saliba will need careful handling to reduce the risk of aggravating the problem or picking up another minor issue tied to match fitness. Arsenal’s priority will be a controlled comeback rather than an immediate full return.

He may feature for a spell on Saturday against Hull City, but even that would be followed by another two weeks of rest over the break. That gives Arteta and the Arsenal staff time to work on Saliba’s condition without the pressure of a packed schedule.