Noni Madueke and the importance of Arsenal’s ‘Bible Brothers’: ‘We believe we have God fighting for us’
“First of all, I just want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. »
After overcoming a controversial decision by Chelsea, winning over Arsenal fans, recovering from a two-month injury and scoring against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, this statement was Noni Madueke’s immediate response to TNT Sports.
The 23-year-old is part of a large group of Christian players at Arsenal. Some have become famous for speaking loudly about their faith. Whether in interviews, on social media or through their on-pitch celebrations after a goal, the “Bible Brothers” of the Arsenal men’s team make no secret of their belief and love of God.
“It’s a good thing,” Madueke told the Premier League this month. “It’s fantastic that we have a team that’s not ashamed of it. We think it gives us such momentum when we step on the pitch that we’re not alone.
“We believe that God is fighting for us. It’s fantastic. It just brings us closer. We’re so close, but I feel like (we’re closer) because of that, and long may it continue, for sure.
“Before every game, we pray together for a few minutes, and then also at the hotel, for a few minutes, studying the Bible and just praying. Not even always praying, just seeing if we’re all OK, checking on each other, stuff like that. It’s great. There’s probably 10 of us, so a few of us contribute. Maybe (we pick) a scripture, we talk about it, read about it, see what everyone’s going through, how we can help each other, pray for each other, stuff like that, so it’s really good.
As Madueke says, he is not the only one among the Arsenal squad who believes in God.
Jurrien Timber – who himself had to overcome a significant setback after missing most of his first season in north London due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his right knee – is also a devout Christian and has taken to posting Bible verses about X before matches.
Nicknamed “Pastor Timber” by Arsenal fans, Athletics asked the full-back about his confidence in a press conference ahead of Arsenal’s match against Bayern.
“For me, it’s a way of life (my faith),” he said. “I try to live by that. We pray before games because we have a few Christians on our team, which is amazing. It brings unity and understanding because you kind of live the same life.”
When asked how he chooses which verses to post, Timber said, “I don’t have a Bible verse planned for every game. It’s very different every game. They just come to me when I’m talking to teammates or people around me, like family and friends. I just find one that’s appropriate for that day or the game on my own. I just try to bring the world into my thoughts.
“The other day I almost forgot and I received a lot of messages asking me: ‘Where is the Bible verse?’ It’s quite funny.
Timber also said he liked the nickname ‘Bible Brothers’ that Arsenal fans gave him and his regular partner on Arsenal’s right side, Bukayo Saka.
As with Timber, the England international does not shy away from his faith. The 24-year-old has had the nickname “Child of God” on his Instagram profiles for several years and regularly celebrates his goals by pointing to the sky.
Saka told GQ in 2022 that the Bible he received as a gift from his father is one of his most essential and treasured possessions.
“I try to read it every night before I go to bed,” Saka said. “I learned a lot from it and I still read it all the time. It’s important to me. Religion is a big part of my life. I firmly believe in God. Reading this Bible all the time helps me learn more and more about God. I normally try to memorize the messages and what they mean and try to integrate them into my life.”
Former Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny opened the club’s first multi-faith prayer room in the Emirates in March 2024. The Egypt international, a devout Muslim, said at the opening of the facility: “Having this space to contemplate and pray will be life-changing for future Arsenal players. I am truly grateful to the staff and everyone involved in this achievement.”
Arsenal supports the beliefs and interests of its team members, whether they are Christians like Madueke, Timber and Saka, Muslim players like William Saliba or players who practice no religion.
In August, Athletics revealed that Eberechi Eze put pressure on his England teammates at Arsenal (such as Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly) to push the club for his arrival. The welcoming environment that the club has created and the multicultural make-up of the team will have played a significant role in settling the 27-year-old.
Eze is one of the most publicly devoted Christians in the Premier League. Like Saka, he also points to the sky and thanks after scoring a goal (as he did after scoring the winning goal in the 2025 FA Cup final for Crystal Palace against Manchester City), and his signature gesture after scoring is to make a cross with his two index fingers.
Eze celebrates Palace’s goal in last season’s FA Cup final (James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Born in south London, Eze said his faith, instilled in him by his parents, was the main thing that helped him overcome the pain of being released by Arsenal at the age of 13, telling Sky Sports: “One thing I will never forget is how faithful my parents were. I learned from a young age to trust in God’s plan and to believe that God will make this thing work.
“It will work out eventually. Other trials and other teams have come. There have been rejections, but the character building that comes from my faith is extremely powerful. My family does a great job of keeping me grounded and reminding me of my relationship with God.”
Eze echoed this sentiment again in 2024, telling the Men in Blazers podcast: “I’ve learned within myself that staying rooted in Christ through all the different phases is the most important thing because it allows you to see things in the right light. Things change. Things go up and down. You never know what’s around the corner. The only rock and solid foundation is Christ, and having that allows me to face whatever circumstances I find myself in.”
After nearly joining Tottenham Hotspur, a phone call from Mikel Arteta sparked a whirlwind few hours that saw the England international rejoin his boyhood team.
Eze told Ian Wright on Arsenal’s media channels: “I remember the day I was released (from Arsenal), my mother said a prayer. She was praying for this reverse to happen. So for me this (signing for Arsenal) is the fulfillment of a prayer that we prayed about 20 years ago.
“It’s deeper than anyone can understand. I can see God’s hand in it, so I know it’s meant to be and I can only thank God for the opportunity to be here and play. To be recognized in this way. I feel so blessed.”
A lot has been said about this Arsenal team. The depth of their team, their set-piece prowess or their defense which accumulates clean sheets. But there is also a camaraderie that has been created. An example of this is Madueke, Timber, Saka, Eze, Gabriel, Gabriel Jesus, Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera and all the other Christians in the group who can be a little more discreet about their faith.
Arteta told a press conference last month: “They (the Arsenal team) do it (use religion), and I like it because I think it connects them more. The fact that some of them have the same beliefs or strong beliefs about it helps their well-being and their mental side. I think it’s phenomenal.”
Madueke posted a photo in November with his Arsenal teammates on Instagram with the caption “Thank you God for this brotherhood you have created.”
The winger told the Premier League that although he had the experience of seeing team members follow “a bit” of the same religion at former clubs PSV and Chelsea, “It’s definitely the closest I’ve felt in terms of God and our team. It’s a real blessing.”
In 2015, John Bostock, formerly of Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, founded Ballers in God, a group aimed at connecting, encouraging and disciplining professional football players and supporters in their faith.
‘What’s happening at Arsenal is special,’ he says Athletics. “I have seen first-hand how faith can become a real bond in the locker room. Players go from being teammates to being brothers.
“They pray together, study the Bible together and hold each other accountable. This level of unity is naturally reflected in their football. When you have men who grow in the understanding of grace, humility, sacrifice and purpose, it changes the way they live, not just the way they play.”
Arsenal’s biblical brothers, the rest of the team and the fans will be hoping this blessing will propel them to their first Premier League title in 21 years.