Unai Emery’s time at Arsenal will not be fondly remembered by any fan.
The Spaniard spent 18 months at the Emirates, and it was a terrible period for the club. Yes, he led the Gunners into the final of the Europa League in his debut season, but watching his style of play was painful.
Emery was rightly shown the door just three months into his second season, and that decision changed everything for the better for Arsenal.
However, the current Aston Villa boss does deserve credit for a few things he did during his tenure at the Emirates Stadium.
Former Arsenal star Matteo Guendouzi raves about Unai Emery
Emery was the one who signed Matteo Guendouzi for Arsenal from French side Lorient.
The midfielder was an unknown quantity to everyone here in England, but Emery quickly became convinced that he was going to be a mainstay in the first-team.
Guendouzi, who was still a teenager then, played 48 games in all competitions for Arsenal, and he was one of the club’s best players.
Things didn’t work out for Guendouzi at Arsenal, but he is having a fine career. He has now credited his development to Emery by saying that the former Gunners boss was the one who made him a ‘real player’.
Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Guendouzi said: “(I learnt) a lot, also because I went there when I was only 19.
“But, even though I was very young, in the two years I was there I always played. Thanks to Emery I became a real player, he taught me everything.”
Guendouzi currently plays his football in Italy with Lazio, where he is teammates with Gunners loanee Nuno Tavares, who has become a star there.
READ MORE: Matteo Guendouzi reveals his favourite teammate he had at Arsenal
What really happened between Matteo Guendouzi and Mikel Arteta at Arsenal
After his debut season at Arsenal, many fans felt that Guendouzi would be the future of the club’s midfield. His talent was unquestionable and his performances as a teenager were excellent.
After Emery was shown the door and Mikel Arteta came in, Guendouzi was involved in a series of indiscretions that annoyed the new Arsenal manager.
Guendouzi’s behaviour during a training camp in Dubai really angered Arteta, who punished the midfielder by dropping him for a game against Newcastle United.
Then, the midfielder’s antics in a clash against Brighton and Hove Albion, made Arteta even more furious and that ended Guendouzi’s Arsenal career.
Arsenal sold Guendouzi to Marseille on a permanent deal in 2022.
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