Arsenal News: Exiled Midfielder Must Put Passionate Self In Check To Flourish

Matteo Guendouzi is undoubtedly one of the talented footballers the world has today.

However, the 22-year-old is far from perfect especially when it comes to putting his emotion in check.

It is one of the reasons why the French midfielder failed to strike it well with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

His passion for the game has rubbed teammates and opponents the wrong way, preventing him from smoothly competing.

Loaned out by Arsenal after falling down the pecking order, he has been thriving under coach Jorge Sampaoli at Olympique de Marseille.

Despite initial reservations on his coming because he was previously associated with the academy of Paris Saint-Germain, Guendouzi’s combative spirit has won over the fans.

Tied to that, his strong form resulted in an invite to the French national team in the Nations League semi-finals, a move made by Didier Deschamps.

“He’s been getting a lot of playing time and he’s got confidence in himself,” Deschamps said. “Beyond the volume of play he gets through and his aggressiveness, he has great technical qualities. He’ll bring freshness, life, and that’s important.”

While it seems things are falling into place, that passionate side of Guendouzi remains.

Some are wary that he may self-destruct, and this is something that he needs to work on, according to former Lorient chief Sylvain Ripoll.

“Matteo is very passionate, very invested in his profession, very enthusiastic and very generous in his efforts,” Ripoll said Le Quotidien du Sport. “He experiences events intensely and always gives 200% to everything, whatever the context.”

While most know that altercation he had with Neal Maupay of Brighton when he was still with Arsenal, Guendouzi has already had something similar in Marseille with Gerson.

In all, it is the passion that burns inside of Guendouzi that has been taken out of context. But overall, his emotions and passion for the game need to be addressed.

Guendouzi may be far from a complete player, but his trajectory seems to be on the right track.