Is There a ‘Way Back’ for Matteo Guendouzi?

After the somewhat dismal game against Aston Villa, one thing was clear to most Arsenal fans; that without Granit Xhaka keeping pace in the midfield, the team’s footballing rhythm was erratic. Mikel Arteta noticed this as well, bringing him on immediately after the break, but it was too little too late (and another sign that a player like Thomas Partey would be incredibly welcome at the club).

However, if you were to tell me eight months ago that Granit Xhaka will still be one of the squads most influential players going into the new season, I would have laughed and probably dismissed him as being gone in the January window. After his miserable showing and disastrous attitude towards the fans against Crystal Palace in October, he was stripped of the captaincy and didn’t make an appearance for multiple games. However, under Arteta, Xhaka’s role has become absolutely vital to the team’s progression up the pitch and fans have sat up to take notice. After the win against Man City in the FA Cup last weekend, Arteta said to the press ‘If you are willing and consistent and you really want to do it there is always a way back.’

Currently, this applies to two players, in particular, Mesut Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi. For Ozil, having been at the club eight years and with the best of those years seemingly behind him for quite some time now, it looks to be game over both in the mind of the player, manager, and board staff.

But for 21-year-old Guendouzi, a ‘way back’ is possible. Having been reprimanded originally for his attitude and behavior on Arsenal’s Dubai training camp and missing the trip to Newcastle, Guendouzi taunted Brighton striker Neil Maupay in our 2-1 loss in mid-May and was ordered to train alone. Guendouzi would have been hard stretched to find a way back into the team since, with Ceballos and the aforementioned Xhaka performing incredibly in his absence, and it seems that his attitude has seen no such signs of rectification.

For one, I applaud the decisions taken by Arteta in tackling Guendouzi’s attitude. However, the situation unfolding bears a strong resemblance to the reason why he left his previous club, FC Lorient, for Arsenal. After being involved in a bust-up with senior teammates, the then 18-year-old Guendouzi was barred from first-team involvement for over three months, and subsequently forced an exit from the French club by not signing a new contract.

I’d say Guendouzi is at an important juncture in his career. Will he continue to run away from his problems with aggression and attitude on and off the pitch? Or will he confront them in the way that Granit Xhaka has this season? 

As Arteta says, the player has to be ‘willing and consistent’, and Guendouzi has shown neither so far. One thing is for sure: for such a young player, to not be on the pitch week in week out is devastating for that player’s progression, and so he will want to make a decision as to the future of his playing career quickly, and whilst I personally think Arsenal should cut their losses with the player, any club interested in his talent will definitely be wary after such childlike showings this season.





Written by Alec Taylor (@alectaylor97)

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