Arsenal: Matteo Guendouzi does what Granit Xhaka doesn’t

Matteo Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka are very comparable players. But there is one thing that Arsenal’s newest sensation does that his midfielder does not: release the ball quickly.

When he was signed two summers ago for £35 million, it was expected that Granit Xhaka would develop into the deep-lying conductor of Arsenal’s midfielder, providing defensive cover for the back four while also controlling the match as he dictates the team’s play in possession. Two years later, the jury is still out.

Catch the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal podcast right here

That’s not to say that Xhaka cannot perform such a role. He has all the tools to be able to do so, perhaps other than that added athleticism that is needed to shield the defence in the increasingly swift modern game, but, for whatever reason, doesn’t consistently contribute as expected.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

But now there is a new kid on the block. Matteo Guendouzi, who is very much built out of the same mould as Xhaka, has burst onto the first-team scene after his £7 million move in the summer. The 19-year-old was playing in Ligue 2 and few expected him to have any sort of impact this season. But four games into the new year and he has started every one of them.

Both Guendouzi and Xhaka play in a similar fashion. They like to have lots of the ball, to drop deep, receive it from the defence, turn, and then survey the field, looking to play into more advanced positions of the pitch, very much akin to a quarterback-type role. It is an important responsibility, especially for a team that wants to dominate games through winning the battle of possession, and both players have the qualities to conduct it well.

However, there is a clear difference between the way in which they release passes which drastically alters the overall impact that they have on the match. While Xhaka is happier to slow play down, taking that extra touch to control the ball or that added second to think about his options, Guendouzi plays passes that half a second faster.

It may not sound like much, but against opposing teams that try to press Arsenal high up the pitch, as has been the case in all four Premier League matches thus far, it makes all the difference. Being able to play at a speed that circumnavigates pressing opponents is critical to successfully building out from the back and instigating attacking moves from deep.

Time and time again, Xhaka chooses to slow down the play. Rather than invigorating the match with impetus and intensity, he calms it down, choosing the safer, slower option. Sometimes, that is the right thing to do. But it must be interspersed with quicker, higher-tempo passes that allow Arsenal to escape the high press and exploit spaces in more advanced areas of the field, which is not something that Xhaka does frequently enough.

Guendouzi still has much to learn. He is still extremely young and raw, and he will continue to make mistakes. But he is making his name known within Arsenal and the Premier League and he may already be better than the man he was meant to understudy. In large part, that is because of the speed of his passing. Perhaps Xhaka could learn a thing or two.