Arsenal: Matteo Guendouzi, future captain

Matteo Guendouzi spoke in an interview about the expectations of the fans and how he must perform going forward. The young Frenchman has the mentality of a future Arsenal captain.

Arsenal’s young midfield dynamo Matteo Guendouzi has shown a whole basket of tricks when it comes to his skill set. He can pass well, dribble with composure, tackle expertly and with ease, and even rile up the opposition when necessary — and when not entirely necessary, too.

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But possibly even more impressive are the intangibles the young Frenchman possesses. His calmness, his passion, his work-rate, his communication and fight, his leadership and character. He is future captain material.

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From the very beginning, Guendouzi’s talent was evident. He was Arsenal’s Man of the Match in both of his first two performances for the club, he controlled the midfield under Unai Emery in his first season, earning a Golden Boy finalist award for his troubles, and, in Emery’s second season, there were games when he was the only thing standing between the squad and defeat. The flame-haired midfielder stood tall and time again, and each time, his reputation only grew.

And even though he has not played as much under Mikel Arteta, his work ethic and infectious passion are worming him back into the Spaniard’s good graces. He has been rock solid through the temporary absence of Lucas Torreira and continues to shine when called upon. The match against Bournemouth particularly resonates in the 20-year-old’s favour.

But it is the intangibles of Guendouzi that are even greater. He has received praise for his work-rate and attitude, and more recently he spoke to the Arsenal website in an interview about his role at the club. In that interview, he spoke about his growth as a player and the need to play up to the expectations of the fans that have changed as his standing in the squad has changed:

"“The fans definitely expect different things from me now. Then, inevitably, my playing well from the beginning last year was something new but I was still seen as a young player and new player that they did not know. Now, I have shown them what I am capable of. I have shown them that I can help the team a lot. So it is normal that they now expect a lot more from me, especially as I have played a lot of games last season. Then, since the beginning of the season, I have started in numerous games so it is normal that they expect a lot from me. In any case, I will always try to meet [those expectations] on the pitch.”"

With such comments, the young Frenchman showed wisdom beyond his years. It one of the many reasons I believe he is the future Arsenal captain. He has the skill, the energy, the fighting spirit. And now he’s shown his desire to grow and develop.

All the qualities to be a star captain are there, he now just needs time to progress and opportunities to play.