On 11 July 2018, Arsenal announced the arrival of Matteo Guendouzi from Lorient for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £7m plus bonuses. Head coach Unai Emery said: “We are delighted Matteo is joining us. He is a talented young player and a lot of clubs were interested in him. He has big potential and gained good first-team experience last season with Lorient. He wants to learn and improve and will be an important part of our first-team squad”.
From his first day at the club, he made an impression on Emery. His coach explained “Since the first weeks in pre-season when he arrived here and started to train. For example, he made a very big decision because in the pre-season he decided that he did not play with his national team in the summer because he wanted to stay and work with us. He wanted to show his capacity in the pre-season – very important – and in pre-season he earned the possibility to take a lot of minutes in the first XI because he played very well and his adaptation was very quick. And now, his progress is very good.” At the end of his first season as a Gunner, the 20-year-old made 48 first team appearances in all competitions and managed a solitary goal.
Matteo picked up from where he stopped last season in this new campaign. He has even stepped it up from last season. So far, he has been Arsenal’s most consistent and reliable midfielder with the brilliant moments and inspirational halves. He has those performances that illustrate his ability, but he has now combined them with fewer mistakes and more consistency. He has emerged as a must-pick for Unai Emery this season with his powerhouse performances against Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, the Frenchman almost single-handedly dragged Arsenal back from losing positions. His impact against Villa in Match-week 6 was described as that of a “warrior” by Alan Shearer, earning the young Frenchman a place in his Team of the Week. Guendouzi has looked at comfortable in the team ever since making his Gunners debut last season as a little-known teenager. He likes to receive the ball and make passes as often as possible. In that respect he is as dominant as Granit Xhaka and new loan signing Dani Ceballos. His passes have been more accurate and with enormous regularity, the player with just 41 Premier League appearances to his name stamps his authority on matches like a seasoned pro now.
Guendouzi’s all-action approach means he is well suited to playing in the Premier League as a mobile defensive midfielder. He has thrown himself into more 50-50 duels and tackles than any of his team-mates and Emery views him as more of a box-to-box midfielder. The young man’s form has been outstanding in this second season, with his enthusiasm, drive and precocious leadership qualities rubbing off positively on his team-mates. The Frenchman has the talent to develop into an elite central midfielder. His talent might have been the initial interest that caught Unai Emery’s attention but his attitude at work leaves the Spanish coach with no option than to select him either in two-man central midfield pair or three in the middle. Guendouzi has suddenly become a crucial fixture in the Gunners’ starting XI.
His performance at Arsenal is being recognized and yesterday, his name was amongst the final Golden Boy shortlist for 2019. Congratulations are in order Matteo; you deserve praise for your skill and ability. But also, your attitude is recognized and that is what will take you right to the top.