In the Summer of 2016, then Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger splashed 35 million pounds to buy a very unknown Swiss midfielder from German team Borussia Monchengladbach. It was the highest amount Arsenal had ever spent on a central midfielder and very much was expected from Granit Xhaka even before his arrival at the Emirates.
Arsenal fans expected him to be the second coming of Patrick Vieira, that combative defensive midfielder that Arsenal had lacked for so many years since Viera left for Juventus in 2005. Xhaka took time to adapt to the speed of the Premier League and his initial performances were disappointing, he was sent off thrice in his first season!
However, slowly but surely Xhaka established himself as a first team member under Arsene Wenger but could do little to stop Arsenal overall decline under the French manager.
Arsene Wenger left and in came Unai Emery but Granit Xhaka’s influence never declined, in fact, it grew even more! Without him, Arsenal always seems to struggle and that was no more evident than in the 1-0 loss away to Everton in their last Premier League encounter. Arsenal looked bereft of ideas and composure, the two qualities Granit Xhaka offers in abundance.
As Johan Cruyff once famously said, football is a simple game but playing simple football is the hardest thing about the game. Xhaka is a master in playing simple football, he knows when to play a pass forward, when to slow things down, speed up things and will always look for the right pass. This is what makes him Arsenal’s first midfielder whenever he is fit.
Granit Xhaka may have started his Arsenal career on a slow note but he has quickly established himself as Arsenal midfield general!
PS: He is also one of the 5 captains at the club!