Arsenal: The 3 most ready young players to start

2. Matteo Guendouzi

No young player has produced the level of performance that Matteo Guendouzi has. In fact, stretching back to last season, Guendouzi has produced several superior performances than any other young player in the squad.

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This season, he was utterly awesome versus Spurs in the North London Derby. He then inspired a brilliant second-half comeback against Aston Villa with one of the most complete midfield performances you will see all season. And then, against Bournemouth in the FA Cup under Mikel Arteta, the midfield was emptied so that Guendouzi could go to work. And boy did he.

Inconsistency and discipline, on and off the pitch, has been Guendouzi’s primary issues, especially since Arteta has taken over as head coach. Arteta is a stringent and detailed coach. He has high expectations of his players, and he has a very specific way in which they must execute their specific role. Guendouzi, on the other hand, plays with more freedom than Arteta might desire.

Nevertheless, more than any other young player in the squad, Guendouzi has already proved that he is capable of excelling at the Premier League level. He needs to iron out his loose positioning and has to get his head down and work hard, but in terms of ability, there is no young prospect readier than him.