Arsenal returned to Premier League action on Wednesday evening, but didn’t have an enjoyable evening as they lost 3-0 away at Manchester City.
After more than three months out of action, Arsenal helped kick off the Premier League again with the second behind-closed-doors game of the day.
First half injuries to Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari were far from ideal, and neither was the way David Luiz defended Kevin De Bruyne’s pass as he allowed Raheem Sterling to open the scoring.
Luiz was then sent off for hauling down Riyad Mahrez, and Kevin De Bruyne stepped up to score from the penalty spot before Phil Foden added a late third.
It was a pretty dismal night for Arsenal. Almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Arsenal, though Gary Neville found one player to praise.
Neville picked out midfielder Matteo Guendouzi for praise in the first half. Neville, speaking on Sky Sports’ coverage (17/06, 20:45) suggested that Guendouzi looks like a ‘big character’ and a ‘leader’.
Neville hailed the French talent – who Unai Emery signed for just £7m in 2018 – for showing great courage and showing for the ball, whilst also demanding more from his teammates around him.
“I have to say, from the moment that he came into the team, Guendouzi, he’s looked like a big character and a leader,” said Neville. “He gets on the ball all the time, shows great courage to play and he’s always demanding from his team-mates,” he added.
Guendouzi was dropped by Mikel Arteta back in February, leading to questions about his future. The Telegraph even claimed that Guendouzi had a bust-up with Arteta.
He started against City last night, suggesting he is being trusted again, but he must not let his potential go to waste, with Neville highlighting just how important the 21-year-old could be.
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