Arsenal: Joe Willock vs Matteo Guendouzi one for the ages

Arsenal have two tremendous young midfielders in Matteo Guendouzi and Joe Willock, and with their long-term futures in check, this is a battle for the ages.

It’s one thing to have one incredibly talented 20-year-old midfielder in the first team picture, ready to take control of their future, it’s another thing to have two of them, both in the same situation, both garnering praise from managers past and present. And that is where Arsenal currently find themselves with Matteo Guendouzi and Joe Willock.

As of last year, the competition looked to be between Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira. But Unai Emery clearly sees some things he likes in Joe Willock (how can you not?), and it’s now shaping up like the future of this midfield may be even younger than we originally suspected.

Guendouzi has already been touted as the next big thing. PSG were supposedly ramping up momentum to drop £60m on him last January, but since then, he has established himself as a must-start, and Willock isn’t far behind.

What’s truly special about these two is that they have such similarities across the board, but rather than that being an obstacle, it’s a perk, because they both do so much across the board.

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Two box-to-box midfielders, both with a seemingly undying engine, both with tenacity on or off the ball, both with a knack for the clever pass, both with the impulse to score. In each category, one edges the other out, but they’re still neck and neck. For instance Willock looks more the scorer and Guendouzi looks the better passer, but like I said, they’re both so young and they both boast such potential across the board that the capacity for development is definitely there.

The big question is how Unai Emery can utilize them both in tandem moving forward. Because, as much as I love Granit Xhaka, and Emery clearly does too, a midfield three with Xhaka, Guendouzi and Willock doesn’t really work.

Rather, if you stoke the midfield flame with Guendouzi and Willock and add a defensive hinge to provide support, you’ve solved everything. Two box-to-box midfielders that are here for another decade plus, that have immeasurable talent… it’s a thing of beauty.

Early in their development, they’ll benefit well from competing against each other, but all signs point to a future where they’re playing side by side. There’s just too much talent in these two to do it any other way.