Matteo Guendouzi

One of our best players today, but was guilty for the first goal. Needs to learn quickly.

I wanted him to have a splendid game. Truth is he mixed some very good things with very bad things. The good things are good, out of the bad things perhapse he should work a bit on his movement timing, defensively.

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He played fairly well on his debut but will be remembered more for Sterling’s goal than the rest of his performance.

It’s slightly worrying that possibly our best performing defender against Man City wouldn’t get on the bench at any other top six club.

He cerntainly looks like he has a future here, but no way should he be starting a game against Manchester City. Play him in the cup competitions or even against weaker Premier League opposition at home, not against the current champions ffs.

Not sure what Unai was thinking to be honest

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My guess is Emery was thinking that his system is pretty complicated and different from what the Arsenal players are used to so Gonzo who has been here all pre-season and had no previous Arsenal programming and who besides practising all summer has played several games in this system, would be a better fit than guys who just joined the squad last week.

I think you could see that it was obivous how much new strategy all the players had in their heads, defensively how they close down and take turns in covering space, how they sit a bit deeper and more compact etc. it’s all new and they’re still trying to figure it out.

Gonzo’s side-stepping vs Sterling on the goal, in a way few midfielders in the world can tag along when short rapid players run perpendicular to goal in that very space, there is a reason they systematically make that run, why Robben has a career and why Messi scores 5 goals every season from there that are near practically impossible to defend against and so on. Gonzo does look slower than average when it happens though. His Bellerin-mistimed last man dash that set whoeveritwas free with Cech was complete timing insanity. He also made a few funny passes.

That being said, the good things were plenty (desire to have the ball, confidence, killing space without ball, vision bla bla) but this post is long enough, I just see a few things you eventually can’t train to learn when you’re about to enter your twenties I think, so if he keeps improving I’m delighted with him. Agree that hopefully we shouldn’t have to rely on him at that age though, unless this turns out to be a one-off.

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If he has relent why should we not let him get the experience?

How on earth you guys see so much good points in his performance? Watched the game again.

Good points some inceptions and clean tackles. Tracking the player and keep pressure on them. Some good long passes.

Bad points his first touch wasn’t great. He’s really awkward on the ball. When challenged on the ball how often he lost balance and rely on the referee to give him the 50/50 decisions. Stinks of Wilshere every time he lose his balance he protest to the referee. He stopped chasing Sterling and led to the goal. He even miss the long ball later on leading City player through on goal. Wayward passes.

Finally spends way too much time brushing his damn hair. If it’s obscuring his vision cut it man. Maybe that’s the main reason why I’m pissy about him…

Was it really Matteo’s fault on the first goal??

Rookie or not, Sterling was already on 2nd/3rd gear when cutting inside, and Matteo was pretty much static and had to move to his left laterally, it was not a simple “forward” motion and just “chase”.

You may say he should have fouled Sterling by sticking his leg out, or give him a push/pull, but I don’t think it is fair to say we conceded because of him.

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I was in the fence but this sealed it. When in doubt go opposite of @Trion.

I hope unai just leaves him in the team and let’s him play his way up in to it. I hated the way Wenger handled kids like fragile eggs.

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That worked well for you guys with regards to Granit Xhaka.

Reminds me of a young Vieira !!

I read that in a Louis Walsh voice :smile:

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He was the closest man to Sterling and like you said he’s pretty static. Isn’t that his fault?

The ball he missed allowed Aguero through on goal and luckily he didn’t score.

Where was he for the second goal? No where near our goal. In a replay it shown he just managed trot back nearly reaching outside the box before Bernardo Silva fired in.

I am just pissed that people just see the positive and no negative in the lad. Anyway I hope he improves and shut me up.

If we want to get into details and replay everything in slow motion, every game play will have faults and errors in it, not only the goals that we conceded.

I am not saying Matteo was not at fault, but football, all team games are dynamic, it is rare to have one on one situations like shooter vs keeper in PK, or everybody is dead but just one forward vs one defender. Everything is in motion and dynamics, one incident leads to another.

If Matteo can be blamed for not taking Sterling, everybody could also be blamed for letting Sterling to get into that situation, especially the one who allowed Sterling to cut in.

Matteo is just a rookie, he should be given a pass. We are not trying to overprotect him, or we just chose to praise him but not going to criticize, it is just because he is a rookie, he is raw and he SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO MAKE THOSE “MISTAKES” (if you really say it was his fault). Kids, young people are allowed to make mistakes and learn and move on.

p.s. I am harsh on Iwobi because he is NOT a rookie, first of all. Second, he is already a Nigerian International. I expect MORE from him.

Let’s not get carried away now. Let him develop with calm.

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This is a good piece

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If we managed him well we could see a true WC at Arsenal.

FFS Luca what does he do that is remotely world class?

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His hair is obviously world class.

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Nothing, but he looks a true gem. Could either become shit or WC.