Former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi won the Player of the Match award as Lazio beat Bayern Munich in Wednesday’s Champions League clash.

Matteo Guendouzi with the Player of the Match award with Lazio after their victory over Bayern Munich (Photo via ChampionsLeague on Twitter)
Matteo Guendouzi with the Player of the Match award with Lazio after their victory over Bayern Munich (Photo via @ChampionsLeague on Twitter)

Ex-Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has had a mixed time over the last 12 months, but Wednesday’s game against Bayern Munich was certainly one of his highlights.

Guendouzi joined Marseille on a permanent deal from Arsenal in 2022, but by early 2023 he’d already fallen out with his new club.

There were rumours of a potential return to the Premier League last January, but Marseille never received any bids.

Guendouzi then cost his team a spot in the Champions League after missing a penalty in their qualifier in August, and he moved on loan to Lazio not long afterwards. The deal includes an option to buy in 2024.

The 24-year-old’s poor form had seen him drop out of the French national team, having been a regular fixture in the squad throughout 2022.

BOLOGNA, ITALY - NOVEMBER 03: Mattéo Guendouzi of SS Lazio during the Serie A TIM match between Bologna FC and SS Lazio at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on November 03, 2023 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
BOLOGNA, ITALY: Mattéo Guendouzi of SS Lazio during the Serie A TIM match between Bologna FC and SS Lazio at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on November 03, 2023. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

But Lazio offered Guendouzi a chance to turn things around, and he’s gone on to become a regular starter with the Serie A side, making 31 appearances.

Guendouzi’s positive spell in Italy culminated with a Player of the Match performance against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.

Lazio are up against Bayern in the last-16 of the Champions League, and they played out a 1-0 win in the first leg in midweek.

BOLOGNA, ITALY - NOVEMBER 03: Mattéo Guendouzi of SS Lazio during the Serie A TIM match between Bologna FC and SS Lazio at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on November 03, 2023 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
BOLOGNA, ITALY: Mattéo Guendouzi of SS Lazio during the Serie A TIM match between Bologna FC and SS Lazio at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on November 03, 2023. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Guendouzi received the official Player of the Match award, having completed 84% of his passes, winning seven of his eight individual duels, and making a couple of tackles.

Lazio still have a big job to do in Germany to ensure qualification to the Champions League quarter-finals, so it’s not over yet.

But Guendouzi became the second ex-Arsenal player to heap misery on Bayern’s Harry Kane and Eric Dier this week, after Granit Xhaka did the same in a 3-0 win with Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend.