‘He showed he was upset with me’ - Mauricio Pochettino says Noni Madueke ‘proved a point’ after Chelsea winger won and scored decisive penalty against Crystal Palace

Injuries and competition for places have restricted Madueke to a limited number of cameo appearances for Chelsea this season but an electric 20-minute burst as a substitute on Wednesday night proved pivotal. The 21-year-old stroked home an 89th-minute penalty to finally overcome a stubborn Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino, who had been critical of Madueke recently, was delighted by his player's reaction.

"He played free," Pochettino explained in his post-match press conference. "The difference is he did what we needed. I like it because he showed he was upset with me. He was disappointed with me because he didn't play too much — also because he's been injured. But now he says 'I'm going to show the coach he can trust in myself.' They need to show me I can trust them, mentality is important."

The Argentinian will be delighted to see his man-management bearing results so quickly. It was only last week that Pochettino had given a frank assessment of the £28.5m ($37m) January arrival, calling on the player to improve his level and compete for a place in the team. If Madueke can back up his stellar showing on Wednesday night, Chelsea may well have another useful attacking option at their disposal.

It will be fascinating to see what role Madueke will be given when Chelsea make the short trip to Kenilworth Road on Saturday where they face Luton Town.