There is nothing more endearing to a travelling group of football fans than a visible demonstration of passion, and there was no one more passionate than Matteo Guendouzi during Arsenal’s meeting with Chelsea last weekend.

When Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang skied an easy chance at Stamford Bridge, Guendouzi collapsed to his knees and pounded the turf as if he was auditioning for a remake of Platoon.

The teenager’s all-action performances, and that frenzied reaction, have set him on the path to becoming the most unexpected cult hero of the new season. He is not there yet — it is far too early for that — but few signings have made a bigger emotional impact in their first 180 minutes of Premier League football than the bouncy-haired Frenchman who most Arsenal fans would not have known until this summer.

Already, Guendouzi has been hailed as a “hero” by former Arsenal striker Ian Wright. Martin Keown, another club legend, has praised him for his “bravery”. And Unai Emery, his head coach, raised his eyebrows in delight when asked if he was shocked by the midfielder’s early impact. “It is a very big, positive surprise with him,” Emery said.

Signed from Ligue 2 side Lorient in the summer, for a fee of around £7m, Guendouzi was expected to be nothing more than a squad player this season. Instead it was Lucas Torreira, an eye-catching £26m recruit from Sampdoria, who was supposed to inject some much-needed grittiness into the Arsenal midfield.