Sports
Arsenal-Linked Marc Guehi Has Moment With Mikel Arteta After Carabao Cup
Arsenal needed an 8-7 win on penalties to see off Crystal Palace in their Carabao Cup quarter-final and it was an intriguing night for many reasons at the Emirates.
The Gunners should have been three-nil ahead by half-time as they swarmed the Palace goal but couldn’t find a way past Walter Benitez. Their goal finally came in the 80th minute when Maxime Lacroix put through his own net after Bukayo Saka sent in a dangerous corner.
The Eagles stole an equaliser in the 90+5th minute through Marc Guehi, who capitalised on the hosts’ wastefulness to take the tie to penalties. Lacroix had a night to forget as he was the only one to miss from the spot when Kepa Arrizabalaga saved his attempt.
Arteta will be a relieved man, although he cut a frustrated figure for most of the game until his men booked their place in the semi-finals. The Spaniard’s interaction with one of Oliver Glasner’s troops after the win has reignited talk amongst fans over past transfer interest.
Arteta and Guehi Fuel Transfer Talk
Guehi left fans puzzled when he initially didn’t celebrate his late equaliser, noted by ITV Sport commentator Sam Matterface. The English defender’s goal ensured his side at least took the quarter-final to a penalty shootout, but he didn’t react with the usual elation expected.
Even Glasner was more jubilant than the 25-year-old, whose future is uncertain after a deadline-day move to Liverpool collapsed in September. He appeared emotionless and responded as if he had just scored against his former club.
That wasn’t the case, as he started his youth career at Chelsea before joining Palace in the summer of 2021 for £30 million. But a move across London was a possibility earlier this year when the Gunners were thought to be pondering a summer move for the England international.
Arsenal reportedly viewed Guehi as a “key reinforcement” having watched him star for the Eagles in their FA Cup triumph. The North Londoners did enter the market for new defenders and brought Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie to the Emirates.
Arteta’s apparent admiration for the Englishman appears to have remained intact, as he personally approached the centre-back after the game. This came while his own players, Saka and Noni Madueke, were in discussion with the Palace skipper.
Fans noticed Guehi’s withdrawn response after netting the equaliser and suggested it stemmed from possible transfer links.
One fan wrote:
“Btw can we talk about the fact that Guehi didn’t celebrate his goal or is it too soon?Agent Eze…?”
Another added:
“Guehi not celebrating scoring against Arsenal is all the proof I need that he’s gonna be a Gunner soon.”
One supporter noted:
“No seriously.Guehi scored an extra time equalizer. Didn’t celebrate. Spent extensive time talking to his English brethren.Hm.”
Another wrote in response to Arteta and Guehi’s post-match exchange:
“Arteta’s just gone up to Guehi, dapped him and not Madueke or Saka He wants another CB.”
Guehi is expected to leave Palace either in January or in the summer when his contract expires and he will become a free agent. He continues to be linked with a move to Liverpool, who are believed to have a ‘gentleman’s agreement’, but interest is growing, including from Real Madrid.
Eze Has Already Told Arteta About ‘Incredible’ Guehi
Arsenal did do business with Palace in the summer when they swooped for Eberechi Eze in a £67.5 million deal. That might come in handy if they were to move for Guehi in January, as a deal was struck quickly and on good terms between the two London clubs at Tottenham Hotspur‘s expense.
Eze has been a hit thus far at the Emirates and may have already done Arteta’s scouting of Guehi for him. He spent four years playing alongside the Eagles’ skipper, and they were part of the club’s FA Cup-winning team last season.
The Gunners attacker, like Arteta, is a fan as he waxed lyrical about his compatriot ahead of England’s Euro 2024 campaign (via The Evening Standard):
“He’s an incredible player, an incredible person. He’s a leader. And for someone his age, he’s extremely mature. I have no questions about him, I know he’s capable to do whatever he’s called upon to do.”
Guehi has cemented his place in the England team and could head to next year’s World Cup having made the move to one of Europe’s elite clubs. If he were to head to North London, he’d link back up with Eze, although a fifth centre-back doesn’t quite feel a priority for the league leaders.
