Arsenal news: Unai Emery surprised by Mattéo Guendouzi’s rapid rise

Guendouzi’s arrival in July rather flew under the radar, especially with the club spending £26m on Uruguay’s World Cup star Lucas Torreira the very next day

Few expected 19-year-old Mattéo Guendouzi to start for Arsenal against both Manchester City and Chelsea after signing from Ligue 2 side Lorient – including new manager Unai Emery, who admitted to being “surprised” by the youngster’s level of ability.

Guendouzi’s arrival in July rather flew under the radar, especially with the club spending £26m on Uruguay’s World Cup star Lucas Torreira the very next day.

However in both of the club’s Premier League matches this season Emery has started Guendouzi alongside Granit Xhaka rather than the more experienced Torreira, who was subjected to an on-field dressing down after making an unconvincing cameo in Arsenal’s 3-2 loss to Chelsea last weekend.

Guendouzi is likely to keep his place in the side for today’s match against West Ham, with even Emery admitting he has been taken aback by the teenager’s development.

“It is a very big, positive surprise with him,” when asked if he had always planned on starting the youngster this early into his Arsenal career.

“He is improving. He is playing and working every day. He is hungry - he wants to improve, he wants to learn every day, every match. He is doing it his way, with character and quality. We are very happy with him but every match is a chance to show this progress with consistency.”

Emery joined Arsenal from French champions Paris Saint-Germain and his former side came up against Guendouzi in the 2015/16 season, before Lorient’s relegation to Ligue 2.

But even so the new Arsenal boss admits he was not all that familiar with the youngster, with the decision to sign him this summer seemingly coming from up high.

“Two years ago we played against him when he was starting to play for Lorient,” Emery added.

Matteo Guendouzi has made an instant impact (Getty)

“Last year he was in Ligue 2 but when the club spoke with me about him, the club had worked and watched him, we agreed and when he arrived here – not the first day, which is very difficult – but after two weeks we spoke and said ‘his performance is a very big surprise’ but also in each training and match we need him to show this progress consistently.

“Today, he was progressing like the first two weeks, very positive.”