Matteo Guendouzi is one of the few players who have fallen out with Mikel Arteta at Arsenal and the midfielder has attempted to clear some misconceptions about him and his relationship with the Spanish manager.
The Frenchman joined the Gunners under Unai Emery and was a key player in the team under the current Villarreal manager and did well.
However, his fortunes changed when Arteta became the club’s boss and his hot head got the best of him on several occasions, eventually costing him his place on the team.
In a recent interview, he revealed he left because he had to play and wasn’t getting enough chances at the Emirates.
He tells Goal France: “It’s true that I didn’t have the best relationship with him. Beyond that, I always tried to work, always gave the maximum of myself in training and in matches. I still play a few matches with him, I still did great performances.
“He preferred other players and I respect that decision. That’s why, afterwards, I also decided to leave because I was still young. I needed playing time to continue to progress. The most important when you’re young is to play.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Guendouzi is a talented boy and he was even one of the players considered to become our captain in 2019, but his spell at the Emirates ended sooner than expected.
It is good that he has cleared the air over his departure and his relationship with Arteta.