Xhaka shows Arsenal what they’re missing to leave Arteta searching for answer
Arsenal and Granit Xhaka mutually decided it was time for him to leave the club at the end of last season following seven up-and-down seasons in north London. But the midfielder has since shown the Gunners what they are missing to leave Mikel Arteta scratching his head.
Xhaka was much-maligned during his spell at Arsenal and only really became a fan favourite in his final campaign at the club. After two previous managers had failed to do so, Arteta finally found his best position as a left-sided No 8.
Arsenal flourished as Xhaka bowed out with his best season in terms of goals and assists. He scored nine times in all competitions, setting up his team-mates on seven occasions.
He had come a long way from the player who was booed off in October 2019 and then stripped of the captaincy by Unai Emery. Xhaka attempted to leave on multiple occasions but Arteta kept convincing him to stay.
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He wasn’t able to do so at the end of last season and the Gunners boss may now be regretting that. Xhaka returned to Germany to sign for Bayer Leverkusen after having a spell at Borussia Monchengladbach earlier in his career.
Leverkusen have started the season on fire and Xhaka has contributed to that. Xabi Alonso’s side sit top of the Bundesliga, with 10 wins from their 11 games, two points clear of Bayern Munich.
Xhaka is yet to score for his new club and has just one assist. But it is sometimes the statistics that go under the radar that are most impressive.
According to CBS Sports, Xhaka has made 129 passes into the final third this season. That tally is the most of any player in Europe’s top seven leagues.
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He has played a slightly deeper role at Leverkusen but is still seemingly having a big impact on their attacking prowess. The role of a midfielder sometimes is to get the ball to the front three as much as possible to allow them to do their thing in and around the opposition’s 18-yard box.
Arsenal are still succeeding in Xhaka’s absence, sitting a point off leaders Manchester City in the Premier League as well as being on the cusp of qualifying for the knockout stage in the Champions League. But their free-flowing attacking football from last season isn’t there and maybe Xhaka’s exit has contributed to that, with Declan Rice still learning in his role as a box-to-box player.
Arsenal have been efficient this term without being spectacular. Much of the personnel is still the same, with Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli the main sources of creativity.
However, they are not as easy on the eye as they were and not getting the ball in attacking areas as quickly and as frequently as last season. Perhaps Xhaka had a bigger role in the team than many gave him credit for.
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