'Matteo Guendouzi Taunted 'Sh*t' Brighton Players About Their Wages

Matteo Guendouzi was the centre of controversy, along with Neal Maupay, as Arsenal lost to Brighton on Saturday and the Arsenal midfielder was reportedly giving more than he could take.

From the moment Maupay jumped into Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno, and inadvertently caused the German's injury, the game on Saturday became heated.

The Brighton striker's late winner, which took his team five points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, kicked off some angry scenes with Guendouzi nudging the striker off the ball, which he made a meal of, before grabbing the striker by the throat at full time.

Afterwards Maupay questioned some Arsenal players' humility and claimed the loss was 'what they deserved,' and now it seems he was talking about Guendouzi, with the 21-year-old reportedly mocking opposition players over wages.

"He was saying the Brighton players were s*** and that he and his team-mates earn so much more than they ever will," a source told the Daily Mail.

"He's done it in other games as well. Arsenal are a decent club and hate that sort of behaviour."

Guendouzi kicked off ugly scenes at the final whistle. Image: PA Images

The former Lorient player reportedly 'spent the match' bringing up the disparity of pay between the two sets of players and was 'disparaging' throughout about the quality of their players.

According to Spotrac, the highest paid Brighton players earn £50,000-a-week whilst Guendouzi earns around £40,000-a-week and the highest earning Arsenal player makes £350,000-a-week.

Ironically the north London club's top earner, Mesut Ozil, was left as an unused substitute on Saturday despite the fact clubs can currently make five subs per game. He wasn't even on the bench in Arsenal's previous game against Manchester City last Wednesday.

Guendouzi must have been feeling pretty good about himself, and his claims Brighton players are 'sh*t,' when Nicolas Pepe gave Mikel Artera's side the lead in the 68th minute but his words certainly came back to haunt him.

Lewis Dunk equalised just seven minutes later before Maupay struck in the 95th minute to hand Graham Potter's team all three points and give the Gunners their second loss since returning from lockdown.

Somehow the Arsenal midfielder will avoid punishment for grabbing his fellow Frenchman by the neck after the VAR referee reported to have seen the incident, but did nothing about it.

Whilst Maupay was at fault for Leno's injury, although he didn't go out to hurt the keeper, you can't help but feel his claims that certain players need to learn humility were spot on.