Inside Guendouzi’s Arsenal fallout with Arteta as he risks repeat

Matteo Guendouzi celebrated his 24th birthday on Friday and many Arsenal fans will be still wondering where it all went wrong for the Frenchman at the Emirates. He now must be careful to ensure his spell at Marseille does not head in the same direction.

Arsenal signed Guendouzi as a relatively unknown 19-year-old in the summer of 2018. He was one of Unai Emery’s first signings at the club and was initially set to be a bit-part player under the Spaniard.

But he impressed so much during pre-season that Emery decided to use him far more than he would have thought. Guendouzi made 48 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions in his first campaign at the club, including 23 starts in the Premier League.

His performances were beyond his years and Arsenal had found themselves a gem. But it all went wrong following the sacking of Emery in November 2018.

Mikel Arteta took over in late December 2019 but Guendouzi only went on to make 12 appearances under him. So what went wrong for the player many thought was going to be the future of Arsenal’s midfield?

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Arteta made it clear from his first day at the Gunners that he expected the highest of standards from his players. And it appears that Guendouzi fell short of those requirements.

Arsenal went on a training camp to Dubai in February 2020 as the Premier League went on a winter break. And that was where Arteta and Guendouzi first fell out.

Goal claims Arteta was not happy with the midfielder’s attitude in a training session. The pair clashed and Guendouzi was left out of the squad to play Newcastle the game after the winter break.

The punishment was just one game and Arteta offered him the chance to redeem himself. The enforced break due to the COVID-19 pandemic came and went, with Guendouzi starting the first two games after Project Restart.

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But it was in that second game away to Brighton where things again went wrong. Guendouzi clashed with Seagulls striker Neal Maupay at the final whistle.

Arsenal had lost 2-1 late on and Guendouzi grabbed Maupay around the throat and pushed him to the floor. There was no punishment from the FA but Arteta did not let him off.

Goal claims Arteta was more upset at Guendouzi for not apologising in the days after the defeat. He would never pull on the Arsenal shirt again in a competitive match.

He was sent to Hertha Berlin on loan for the following season and then joined Marseille a year later on loan with an obligation to buy. There was a clash of personalities and it was clear that only one of Arteta and Guendouzi would remain at the club.

Guendouzi now has to ensure his time at Marseille does not go in the same direction. L’Equipe claimed last August that Guendouzi clashed with Marseille boss Igor Tudor at half-time of a pre-season game against AC Milan.

He has remained a regular for Marseille since and went to the World Cup with France. But he may not be a favourite with team-mates following comments after the Coupe de France loss to Annecy in March.

Marseille suffered a shock defeat to the second-tier team. Guendouzi labelled his team’s performance as “professional misconduct” and admitted he was “ashamed”.

Guendouzi has continued to be a regular for Tudor since. But he risks repeating his time at Arsenal if he isn’t careful.

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