A number of current and former Arsenal stars have been on international duty this week.
Several Arsenal players are currently away from the Emirates Stadium representing their countries.
The French media gave their verdict on William Saliba after his performance in Les Bleus’ 3-1 Nations League win over Italy on Sunday.
However, the centre-back was not the only player with an Arsenal connection on the pitch at the San Siro.
Matteo Guendouzi was also named in the French starting XI by Didier Deschamps for this fixture.
The 25-year-old midfielder earned his 12th cap in Milan, and did a good job in the middle of the park.
Dicodusport rated the Lazio star’s performance as a 6.5, and said: “Defensively, he delivered. Six defensive interventions, rarely caught out. He also made an impact (6/9). He was also valuable at the end of the match, when the Italians were a little more threatening. We were a little afraid when we saw him starting, but it is true that he held his own.”
Eurosport also praised his defensive display, and graded his efforts a 6/10: “He also brought energy to a fiery midfield this Sunday. The safety valve of the eleven, he cleared an incalculable number of balls in front of his area. Of course, he had a bit of waste and he will be criticized for sometimes lacking audacity in his restarts by favoring close relays.”
Meanwhile, So Foot were another to award Guendouzi a 6/10 rating, and stated: “Good tactic on the part of Deschamps to put his luxuriant hair in front of the unassuming baldness of Nicolò Barella , who came out of his match.”
What happened between Mikel Arteta and Guendouzi?
Guendouzi signed for Arsenal from Lorient in the summer of 2018, brought to the Emirates Stadium by then-manager Unai Emery.
The current Aston Villa coach showed a great deal of faith in the Frenchman, quickly making him a regular starter for the Gunners.
However, the midfielder fell out of favour under Mikel Arteta, due to his behaviour and conduct. In 2020, Guendouzi was banned from Arsenal training by the Spanish coach, after an altercation with then-Brighton striker Neal Maupay, as reported by The Athletic.
Arteta was not impressed by Guendouzi’s attitude, and his time at the Emirates Stadium was swiftly brought to an end after that as he joined Hertha Berlin on loan before signing for Marseille on a permanent basis.
In total, Guendouzi made 82 appearances for the Gunners across all competitions, and often caught the eye with his tenacity and range of passing. However, his performances were not enough to convince Arteta to overlook his other issues with the player, and ultimately he will go down in the club’s history as a signing that backfired on Arsenal.
Guendouzi has impressed Arsenal fans with his recent displays for Lazio. He looks to have matured on and off the pitch, and the fact that he is now featuring for France suggests that Arteta ought to have perhaps shown more patience with him.
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