Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has been in the eye of the storm over the past couple of days due to his scuffle with Neal Maupay.
The Gunners lost 2-1 to Brighton during the weekend in the Premier League, and after the final whistle, Guendouzi grabbed the Brighton man by his neck. Thankfully, the midfielder has escaped a ban for this incident and according to journalist Gregor Robertson, the player is nothing but a liability for the club.
This statement comes in response to comments which have suggested that Matteo Guendouzi has the ideal fighting spirit and should be the one to lead Arsenal from the front.
He said, as reported: “I went back to the game against Spurs last September when they drew 2-2, and he had a good second half.
“I think he curled in a really good ball for [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang to equalise and I remember the reaction afterwards – people were saying he should be Arsenal’s captain going forward for years.
“I think Ian Wright said that, and so many people acting as if he was this person that the team should be built around, and I was gobsmacked with it.
“The idea that he is the shining light; he runs around a lot, he demonstrates spirit, but he can’t channel it in the right way.
“He’s a liability, and as long as he is in the team, he will cost the team points.”
Will Matteo Guendouzi be a mainstay in the Arsenal midfield?
"I earn more than you ever will" Matteo Guendouzi taunted Brighton player Maupay over money in defeat.
Matteo Guendouzi weekly wage: £40k
Neal Maupay weekly wage: £45k pic.twitter.com/s5RrkwKtg7
— Sky Sports Football (@SkySportsFutbal) June 23, 2020
Before the lockdown, Matteo Guendouzi was surely not one of Arteta’s first-choice midfielders but the recent injuries to Granit Xhaka and Torreira has pushed him up the pecking order.
It’s no secret that Arsenal lack quality in midfield and Guendouzi is not that great a player. But the manager has no other choice but to keep using him alongside Dani Ceballos, at least till he gets all of his players back to full fitness.
Arsenal are sure to bring in some new midfielders this summer and then it will be interesting to see if the young Frenchman can retain his place in the starting line-up or does he fall back down the pecking order.
