Both are London boys. Both play on the right flank for club and country. Both still have their best years ahead of them.

But in terms of their journeys to this point, different paths have been taken. Paths that today, at 4.30pm at Stamford Bridge, see them face off wearing Chelsea blue and the red of Arsenal.

Saka, the shining light from the north London club's Academy in recent years, has become a mainstay for the Gunners and England having risen through the ranks up to the senior side.

Madueke's journey has been a bit different. Starting in north London - like Saka - but down the road at Tottenham, the winger made the bold, brave and, ultimately, brilliant decision to leave the capital and head to Holland, joining PSV Eindhoven at 16 years old.

From there, Noni’s career took off and has known no boundaries. After impressing for PSV in the Eredivisie, the winger returned to London in January 2023 to join the Blues. He left England as an Academy talent with potential and returned an experienced performer across Europe and Premier League-ready.

Madueke has since shone, particularly this season under Enzo Maresca, with four goals struck in nine Premier League appearances, including a sparkling hat-trick against Wolves in late August.

Next up for the Blues, who sit pretty in the Premier League, is a clash with London rivals Arsenal and a meeting with Saka, a player Noni has known and admired over the years.

‘I played against Bukayo a lot when we were younger,’ explains Noni. ‘Obviously I was at Tottenham at the time and he was with Arsenal, so those games were always competitive. North London derbies always are, even at Academy level.

‘Even at a young age, you could tell he was a talented player. Similar in style to what he’s like now, to be fair – a goal threat, strong on the ball and a player who makes the right decisions.

‘Playing against Bukayo, it’s always super competitive and he’s a great player. He’s shown that in the last few seasons with Arsenal and England and I’m sure today’s game will be a good battle for both of us.

‘It’s a game I’m looking forward to and I’m sure he is as well, because Chelsea versus Arsenal are the types of games you want to be involved in.’

The Blues head into today’s clash brimming with confidence following Thursday’s emphatic 8-0 victory over Noah in the Conference League.

And while the task facing us in SW6 today is likely to be far sterner than the Armenian’s side offering, Madueke believes it is important to face each game on its individual merit and insists winning – at any level – breeds confidence.

Although he didn’t feature against Noah, the 22-year-old praised the performance of the much-rotated side and hopes he can be handed a start by Maresca today – a head coach he has thanked for ‘trusting’ in him so far this term.

‘The manager has been great with me so far, he’s really put a lot of trust in me and for that I’m thankful,’ added Madueke. ‘We have a big squad with a lot of talented players and you can see that by how much we can rotate across competitions and still look very strong.

'I didn’t play the other night [vs Noah, Conference League] but that allows an opportunity for other players and they took their chances, they were fantastic. We need that across the squad because we want to compete in every competition we play in.

‘Of course, as players we all want to play in every game but we respect the decision of the manager. Whether I play today or not, it’s up to him.

‘If I’m selected, I’ll be giving everything for the team to try and help us get the points from a big game. I think I’ve done okay so far this season but I know I can do a lot better and can improve still.

'The main thing is that as a team, we are doing well and we are progressing well as a collective. That needs to continue and hopefully we can show that progression today with three points against a top side.’