Player who Arteta sold for £9m says he’s ‘amazing’ as he makes Arsenal trophy claim

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Former Arsenal star Matteo Guendouzi was one of several players to fall out with Mikel Arteta, but he has now praised the Spaniard.

Guendouzi was unceremoniously axed from the Arsenal squad after a 2-1 loss to Brighton in 2020, in which he was involved in an altercation with Neal Maupay, and Arteta ran out of patience with the Frenchman.

The midfielder arrived as a teenager from FC Lorient under Unai Emery, and went straight into the Arsenal starting XI to much surprise.

Although he showed flashes of talent, Guendouzi’s game was raw, and his chaotic style of play was a far cry from the composure shown by current Arsenal stars under Arteta.

The 24-year-old is now performing well for Lazio, and was the player of the match in the first leg of their Champions League knockout tie against Bayern Munich.

Matteo Guendouzi praises Mikel Arteta despite Arsenal axe

In an interview with The Athletic, Guendouzi praised the job Arteta has done at the club, and admitted that he would like to see his former side win a trophy this season.

“I didn’t work with Arteta a lot, I only had six months,” Guendouzi stated.

“I was 19, so I was learning every day. I wouldn’t make the same mistakes I did when I was 19. But in football, every day you learn and mistakes are part of football. Mistakes are part of life. You become a better man and a better footballer with mistakes. For me, it was a very good club because I played a lot.

“Arteta is doing a very good job at Arsenal, they are fighting for the title, they are a very good team and he’s doing amazing things. I hope they will get a trophy because Arsenal is a big club. I wish the best for them.”

Why Mikel Arteta and Matteo Guendouzi fell out at Arsenal

Arteta’s arrival at Arsenal in December 2019 saw him attempt to stamp his authority on the squad, and introduce a culture of discipline which had been lacking under Emery.

Guendouzi’s immaturity saw him briefly dropped from the squad in February 2020 after a disciplinary incident on a team trip to Dubai, which saw him and Sokratis Papastathopolous fight in public.

However, he was reintroduced to the squad, after David Luiz had reportedly warned him about his attitude, but he clearly did not learn. His altercation with Maupay, after Arsenal lost 2-1 against Brighton, was the breaking point for Arteta, who froze him out of the squad completely.

Guendouzi would go on loan to Hertha Berlin, then Olympique Marseille, whom he then joined permanently for £9m.

He has developed into a France International and a Serie A star since, but he did not have the temperament to play under Arteta at the time of his departure.