Arsenal: 3 biggest surprises from disappointing return to action

1. Guendouzi restored

I’ve been gushing about Matteo Guendouzi since we return to action, and a big reason why is because he’s doing all the same things he did when he first arrived. He is improving conclusively and quickly. He is showcasing new talents every day. Or, not new talents necessarily, but talents we knew he had and are being reminded of.

None of that is surprising. What’s surprising is how quickly Guendouzi was restored to this opportunity. He was not gelling with Mikel Arteta after being a permanent fixture under Unai Emery and his regime.

It had gotten so bad that many accepted he was on a premature track out of the club. His talent was largely forgotten and he had some off the pitch issues as well that landed him at odds with Arteta.

But that’s all over now, apparently, and if he keeps playing like this, it’s going to take an awful lot for Arteta to commit to benching him again.