Guendouzi: Arsenal impact surprising as no-one had ever heard of me!

Matteo Guendouzi admits to having been left pleasantly surprised by his impact at Arsenal as he concedes that “no-one had ever heard of me” upon his arrival in England.

The teenage midfielder was snapped up by the Gunners from Lorient in a £7 million ($9m) deal during the summer transfer window of 2018.

As a relative unknown, Unai Emery was expected to ease the youngster into life at Emirates Stadium.

He has, however, taken in 33 appearances across all competitions and earned plenty of praise for the speed at which he has settled in new surroundings and the performances he has put in.

Guendouzi admits he did not expect to progress so quickly, saying in the Evening Standard of his early experiences: “Let’s be honest, apart from the players here who follow a bit of the French leagues, no-one had ever heard of me!

“So it was very important for me to show what I was capable of as early as possible.

“I had a chance during the pre-season tour and I took it. I showed I could be part of this team. I still didn’t expect to play so much because I know I’m at a top club with great players.

“I’m a bit surprised that everything has been going so well. I’ve played well when I’ve featured. I think I showed that I could bring something to the team.

“I am very happy with how things have gone for me at the club so far and if I can keep playing as much in the second half of the season, it would be great.”

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Guendouzi acknowledges that he owes Emery a debt of gratitude for the faith shown in him, with the Spaniard having helped to enhance his game quicker than many could have imagined.

The France U21 international added on his club boss: “I owe him a lot because he has trusted me from the beginning.

“He has a lot of faith in me and it is boosting my confidence. To give so much playing time to a 19-year-old at Arsenal is rare.

“I always want to repay his faith by doing well on the pitch. I have much more to learn with him. We talk a lot, he gives me a lot of advice on my positioning, playing forward.

“I can feel how much better I am now compared to the start of the season. I know all the teams we face better. I know myself better and my game is stronger.”

Guendouzi and Arsenal will be back in action on Thursday when they take in the second leg of a Europa League last-32 encounter with BATE looking to overturn a narrow 1-0 deficit.