"Nobody knew me when I arrived... now I've shown I can help the team a lot" - Matteo Guendouzi

Matteo Guendouzi

Matteo Guendouzi says Arsenal fans expect more from him now than when he first joined the club as an "unknown".

The midfielder moved to the Emirates Stadium from Lorient in summer 2018, and made 48 appearances in all competitions in his debut campaign.

Guendouzi was more involved with the first team than many expected, and he remains an important figure in 2019/20.

The 20-year-old believes expectations have risen in the last 18 months, as he aims to continue making progress in north London.

"The fans definitely expect different things from me now," he told Arsenal Player.

"Right at the beginning, last year, I arrived as a new player, a young player who had just arrived and who was unknown.
 
"Then, inevitably, my playing well from the beginning last year was something new but I was still seen as a young player and new player that they did not know. Now, I have shown them what I am capable of.

"I have shown them that I can help the team a lot. So it is normal that they now expect a lot more from me, especially as I have played a lot of games last season.

"Then, since the beginning of the season, I have started in numerous games so it is normal that they expect a lot from me. In any case, I will always try to meet [those expectations] on the pitch.
 
"I think that I have a certain status in the team now. I have been able to show that I can perform well so I now need to be consistent, always help the team, always give it my best and always play well on the pitch.
 
"I think I improved and that my level increased a lot this year. I really think that I have hit many milestones and moved up a good few notches.

"I am even better than last season. My objective is to always keep making progress and that is what I will do in the years to come, keep on improving so I can be the best."

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Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).