Matteo Guendouzi speaks on poor relationship with Mikel Arteta while at Arsenal

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By Martin Graham | 25th Oct 2022

Matteo Guendouzi has finally spoken about why he left Arsenal.

The French midfielder had well-documented relationship issues with Arteta. Arsenal sits atop the Premier League, with everything looking dandy at the moment. The Gunners have travelled some distance to their current position. Mikel Arteta hopes his wards can continue in their current form as they strive to win their first Premier League title since Arsene Wenger.

The Gunners have relied on several youngsters to prosecute the season, with things looking sweet. Arsenal sits two points above defending champions Manchester City, who have the unreal form of Erling Haaland to thank for their pursuit of a third straight Premier League title.

Under the sheen of beautiful football and commensurate results at the Emirates is a volcano contained by the wily Spanish manager Mikel Arteta. The focused look of the former Arsenal midfielder bellies a ruthlessness that makes him a tough man to tackle.

He has had his fair share of friction with certain players and came out looking good but not entirely smelling of roses. Matteo Guendouzi is one of the players that had a few run-ins with Arteta and has recently opened up on his exit from the club.

Why Guendouzi left Arsenal
While the high-profile issues between Mikel Arteta and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang took the headlines, it is easy to forget that Matteo Guendouzi was the first to have a bus up with the Spanish gaffer. The French midfielder eventually had to leave the Emirates for Marseille but has spoken about his relationship with Arteta.

The temperamental midfielder spoke about his poor relationship with Arteta for the first time. He talked about the circumstances leading to his eventual exit for Marseille. Following a few attempts to return Arsenal to its glory days, Arteta was the pilot for Project Restart at the Emirates.

The relationship between Guendouzi and Arteta became frail after the midfielder had an altercation with Neal Maupay, who had scored the winning goal as Brighton beat Arsenal 2-1.

The incident disappointed Arteta, and things went downhill from then for Guandouzi.

Guendouzi, however, refuses to agree the incident was the genesis of his problems with Arteta. The French midfielder said Arteta preferred other players. The midfielder also claims to respect his decision. He claims he had to leave because he was young and needed more playing time. The career path of Guendouzi Matteo Guendouzi joined Arsenal in the summer of 2018. Unai Emery signed the French midfielder and wasted no time throwing him into the thick of things.

Guendouzi made his Arsenal debut against Manchester City on the opening day of the 2018/19 season. Things started going south for Guendouzi after the sacking of Emery. Following his spat with Neal Maupay, Guendouzi became a rare feature for Arsenal and went out on loan to Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin.

The Frenchman could not convince the German side to push for a permanent move, and he had to return to Arsenal. Without a place for him in the team, Arteta farmed him to his home country, where he spent a season-long loan at French giants Marseille. The loan deal became a permanent move as he impressed the French club. Under Marseille manager Jorge Sampaoli (now at Sevilla), Guendouzi matured into a fine midfielder. Guendouzi has grown in stature and status since his exit from Arsenal.

With the World Cup a few weeks away, the French midfielder is in contention for a spot in Qatar.