Paul Merson ‘worried’ Arsenal star may let Mikel Arteta down against Tottenham

Arsenal: Xhaka's troll comments 'impressive'

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Granit Xhaka’s lack of vision could be a weak link for Arsenal once again when the Gunners face Tottenham on Sunday afternoon, according to Paul Merson. The Swiss midfielder came under fire after making a crucial error in last weekend’s draw at Burnley, allowing Chris Wood to score and snatch a point for the hosts at Turf Moor.

Xhaka, finding himself under pressure in his own penalty area, attempted to clip the ball over to David Luiz but instead smashed it against Wood, with the deflection beating Bernd Leno and bouncing into the back of the net.

The mistake dropped two valuable points for Arsenal, who are looking increasingly unlikely to secure European qualification for next season.

The Gunners currently occupy tenth place in the Premier League table, 13 points adrift of Chelsea in fourth, amid a disappointing campaign for Mikel Arteta in his first full season at the helm.

Merson, who made 327 appearances for Arsenal between 1985 and 1997, has suggested that Xhaka is not capable of playing out from the back as he lacks the awareness and technical know-how to do so.

He predicted that the 28-year-old will continue to make mistakes, with his error at Burnley proving that his ability is not up to scratch.

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“That will keep on happening,” Merson told Sky Sports. “That’s not vision. He should know as soon as that ball comes to him, and it’s rolled into him perfectly by the goalkeeper.

“People can say that the goalkeeper has stitched him up. The goalkeeper has put in a lovely pass for him to go bang, first time out to David Luiz.

“There was no need to take a touch. My worry would be that you [Xhaka] haven’t seen that pass. That’s my worry. You are a midfield player and you haven’t seen that pass.

“It’s the same in midweek with Ceballos [against Olympiakos]. There are four players around him. You see the picture. 

“You have to know what is going on before you get the ball – I blame Xhaka. I don’t blame the goalkeeper for that.

“And you have to have the vision. And if you don’t have the vision, it will keep on happening.”

Xhaka has featured heavily for Arsenal as of late, playing the entire 90 minutes in each of his side’s last 13 Premier League matches.

He is expected to start once again for the visit of Tottenham, who are on a five-game winning streak in all competitions, and will face a tough challenge in keeping the likes of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min at bay.

Mikel Arteta has made it clear that he wants the Gunners to play out from the back, but it appears as though they need more work in order to cut out the costly mistakes that have plagued their recent efforts.

The Spaniard told reporters after the final whistle at Turf Moor that he is still committed to cultivating a patient style of play, suggesting that their ability to find the right pass every time will improve in the long run.

“It is what it is, it’s the way that we play and the way that I want to play,” said Arteta.

“We just have to know the risk and the rules that we have in certain areas in terms of the type of balls we have to play. But it is what it is.”

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