'I needed to have fun' - Guendouzi justifies leaving Arsenal

The Hertha loanee has aimed a thinly-veiled dig at his parent club as he explains the situation that led to his move away from London.

Matteo Guendouzi joined Hertha Berlin on a temporary basis over the summer after falling out of favor at Arsenal.

The Frenchman was involved in a controversial incident last season as he grabbed Brighton forward Neal Maupay by the throat during a Premier League match in June.

He managed to escape punishment by the Football Association but he did indeed face consequences for his actions as the 21-year-old was thereafter exiled from Mikel Arteta’s squad.

The midfielder eventually opted for a complete change of surroundings and secured a loan move to Bundesliga in October.

Guendouzi has since played thrice for Hertha and he is happy with the decision to join them as he admits to being ‘hurt’ by his demotion at Arsenal.

“I needed to have fun on the pitch, to regain confidence and that’s what Hertha offers me. It really is a choice I made,” the Gunners loanee told Telefoot, via Mirror.

“In the space of two seasons, I have played more than 80 games with Arsenal. When you play less, you start to think and it hurts.”