Former Arsenal star revealed that player Mikel Arteta fell out with did ‘a lot of bad things’ behind-the-scenes

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Mikel Arteta has fallen out with a few players in his time as Arsenal boss.

The Spaniard arrived in the Emirates dugout with a clear policy of stringently enforcing the standards he expects, and anyone who failed to adhere would lose their place in the squad.

Mesut Ozil quickly fell by the wayside, before Arteta and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s relationship broke down.

Many have criticised the Gunners head coach’s authoritarian approach to man management, although he has ultimately managed to cultivate a culture inside the dressing room that has led Arsenal back to competing for major honours.

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Sead Kolasinac revealed what Matteo Guendouzi was like at Arsenal

Matteo Guendouzi was one of those that didn’t comply with Arteta’s standards.

The Frenchman had been a staple of Arsenal’s team throughout the 2019/20 season, but vanished from the squad after losing his head away at Brighton in a lockdown game in the summer of 2020.

It later emerged that Arteta wasn’t fond of Guendouzi’s antics, which saw the young midfield involved in a bust-up with Neal Maupay after the clash, that day on the south coast.

The player and manager were unable to resolve the matter, and Guendouzi was eventually shipped out on loan, before permanently leaving Arsenal in 2022.

The now Lazio man was known to be a difficult character to deal with, and perhaps there were signs of this in the Gunners dressing room.

In an interview with Soccer AM in early 2020, prior to Guendouzi’s banishment, former Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac provided some insight into the player’s personality.

Asked who the funniest player in the squad was, Kolasinac cited Guendouzi, but added that he could be irritating.

“Matteo – he is young, he likes to do jokes,” the Bosnian said.

“Every morning he is laughing, so for me, Matteo. He does a lot of bad things [around the training ground], but I’m not talking about this on the television.

“If I’m playing cards and I lose, he comes behind me and goes ‘Ahhh, you lost, you lost’ like this. He loves to do things like this. Sometimes I give him one for it.”

Asked who the grumpiest in Arteta’s ensemble was, Kolasinac again cited Guendouzi.

“Matteo. Always moaning about everything. In training, on the bus, on the plane, everywhere.”

With Arteta a staunchly serious figure, it’s not hard to see how Guendouzi’s immature exploits and erratic personality didn’t merge well with the Arsenal manager’s outlook.

Where is Matteo Guendouzi now?

Spending his first campaign away from N5 on loan at Hertha Berlin, Guendouzi then enjoyed a more successful loan at Marseille, before joining the Ligue 1 side permanently.

He spent one more season in France before leaving for Lazio on another temporary deal, and then signing for the Italian giants on a full-time basis last summer.

Guendouzi is a staple figure at the heart of the Rome side’s midfield, regularly feeding former Arsenal full-back Nuno Tavares down the line.

Likely maturing mentally since his Arsenal days, he’s developed into exactly the player he’d promised in North London.

Excellent in possession and prolific at progressing the ball, he doesn’t add significant value in the final third and remains not particularly productive defensively.