"I earn more than you ever will" - EPL midfielder to Brighton players
Arsenal's encounter against Brighton and Hove Albion, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for the Gunners, ended in controversy when the EPL giants' midfielder Matteo Guendouzi appeared to grab goalscorer Neal Maupay by the neck.
Striker Maupay in a post-match interview accused the EPL side of "lacking humility" and stated that "they got what they deserved."
No action to be taken against EPL midfielder
Yesterday it was confirmed that Guendouzi will not be facing any further action for his behaviour on the field. And now it has been revealed as to what exactly the young Frenchman had been saying to the Brighton players during the EPL league game.
"I earn more than you ever will." had been the 21-year old's constant taunt as he highlighted the wage disparity between him and the Brighton players. Guendouzi earns around £40k a week at Arsenal.
In the second EPL game for Arsenal post-restart, the North London club drew first blood when winger Nicolas Pepe scored a fine goal. However, Brighton quickly equalized when captain Lewis Dunk managed to scramble the ball past substitute goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Maupay won the game for Brighton after scoring in the final minute to make the score 2-1.
Tensions had been high during the game as well. A controversial challenge by Maupay on goalkeeper Bernd Leno proved to be costly as the German was stretchered off the field with what looked to be a serious injury. Leno was seen admonishing Maupay as he left the field.
The EPL giants will be happy that no action has been taken against Guendouzi. Arsenal already are dealing with major injury issues, and Guendouzi being suspended would have added to Mikel Arteta's woes. Arsenal currently have only two fit centre-backs in Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding. Leno, Granit Xhaka, and Lucas Torreira are all injured.
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Guendouzi is regarded as one of the best young EPL talents. Having joined the club from Ligue 2 side Lorient in 2018 for a fee of £7 million, he has established himself as a starting quality midfielder for Arsenal. The Frenchman has made 82 appearances in all competitions for the EPL club, scoring 1 goal and providing 5 assists.
This season, he has been an important cog in the wheel under both Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta. The midfielder, who began his footballing career at Paris Saint Germain, has made 33 appearances in all competitions so far. He has provided 1 assist. Defensively sound, he manages 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game. Often used as a defensive midfielder, Guendouzi's development has been such that he was linked with a £60 million move to Paris Saint Germain.
The EPL giants have endured a miserable return to EPL football. A disastrous performance against Manchester City, which they lost 3-0, was marked by center-back Pablo Mari's serious injury and substitute centre-back David Luiz's horror show, which culminated with him receiving a red card. With this loss to Brighton, Arteta has to quickly find solutions, especially defensively, to keep alive Arsenal's faint hopes of qualifying for Europa League.
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