Arsenal: The three improvements Matteo Guendouzi must make to become world class

2. Receiving the ball

Guendouzi is an excellent recipient of the ball, most of the time. He uses his body superbly to fend off would-be tacklers. He recognises how to use the speed of the pass into his feet to spin into space and break clear of pressure. Because of his two-footedness, the quality of his first touch and dribbling, and the use of his frame to win fouls, he is very difficult to press.

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However, while all of this is true, and it is a crucial aspect of the talent that makes him such an exciting prospect, Guendouzi also suffers from horrendous lapses in this area, too. It is extremely weird and a little non-sensical, but he is simultaneously excellent and awful receiving the ball, especially when under pressure.

Where Guendouzi really needs to improve is in his decision-making and awareness. He must recognise when he can let the ball run across his face to turn clear or when he must address the ball with more caution and more conservative, protective motion. What makes Sergio Busquets so supreme is his decision-making. He creates space for himself with little body swerves, shimmies, dummies and fakes. Guendouzi has this skill, too, but he often uses it at inopportune moments and gets caught out.

Busquets has learned when he can spin clear with a step and drop of the shoulder. Guendouzi still has not learned when he can and cannot be riskier when receiving the ball. The positive is that he has the ability to play in this manner. It simply comes down to decision-making, which will improve with practice and experience.