Guendouzi is one of Arsenal’s few reasons to be cheerful, Naby Keïta is a thrilling talent no matter whose shirt he’s wearing, and Richarlison already looks worth the moneyWherever Arsène Wenger was watching, he would have approved of Mattéo Guendouzi’s presence at the base of Arsenal’s midfield. The 19-year-old was poached from Lorient, exactly the type of under-the-radar Francophone deal in which the former manager delighted. Eager and energetic, his tousled locks and upright style make him stand out but, with City interchanging midfield passes at breakneck speed, Unai Emery had exposed him to a heavy workload – neither Granit Xhaka nor Aaron Ramsey showed much dedication to defensive duties. When Raheem Sterling blazed past him to score City’s opener, Guendouzi’s inexperience was exposed but so was neglectful defending from Mesut Özil and Héctor Bellerín. His passing was often chaotic but so was that of his midfield partners, particularly Xhaka. John Brewin Related: The Dozen: the weekend’s best Premier League photos Related: Transfer window 2018 – every summer deal from Europe's top five leagues Continue readingreadfullarticle
