The first in a new series celebrating football’s great shithouses, new and old, kicks off with a young player only recently promoted to the ranks of shithousery. Welcome, Matteo Guendouzi of Arsenal.
The Arsenal midfielder reportedly taunted Brighton players over how much they earn during their Premier League clash last week. “He was saying the Brighton players were shit and that he and his team-mates earn more than they ever will,” a source told the Daily M**l. He also grabbed the throat of Brighton match-winner Neal Maupay at full-time. (Fun fact: Maupay earns more than Guendouzi.)
After this incident, for which Guendouzi somehow escaped further punishment, he was dropped by Arsenal and is still in the doghouse. “Some things have to change… and nothing has changed,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said of Guendouzi this week, clearly talking about the player’s attitude. Now there’s talk that Arsenal would like to sell him this summer, especially if that sale helps to fund the purchase of midfielder Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid.
Guendouzi is a player made in the Instagram era, all style (debatable – see above photo) over substance. He’s 21 and achieved nothing in the game, unless you count his lovely hair. That’s not to say he won’t grow up and mature into a decent player. And he only cost Arsenal around £7m. But right now, one can only imagine what Roy Keane would make of him.