Granit Xhaka’s faults are simply part of the new Arsenal

By Urban Newton (@urban_newton)

“Granit Xhaka,” I wrote back in July 2016. “is expected by many to play this deep holding role in the centre of midfield. His poor disciplinary record is supposed to get Arsenal fans excited.

“”Hooray! A maverick! A hard-man at last!” But Xhaka will find it difficult to play this role to a high standard with the ever-growing speed of the Premier League.”

I think we all saw Granit Xhaka’s pace, or lack thereof, as a cause for concern when the Swiss international arrived that Summer three years ago.

Sloppy. Lazy. Clumsy. These are all words that the midfielder has been labelled, not least recently due to his reckless, penalty-causing slide tackle on Heung-Min Son in Arsenal’s last Premier League outing: the 2-2 North London derby draw at home to Spurs.

But I think the criticism of Xhaka is harsh. Xhaka has often donned the armband during the Unai Emery era and I think that he simply personifies that style, that new brand out on the pitch.

Arsene Wenger-less Arsenal are a new, different, modern club. So much has changed since the iconic Frenchman left in May 2018.

In came Emery as a “head coach”, as opposed to a “manager”. Behind him, arrived Sven Mislintat and Raul Sanllehi as Head of Recruitment and Head of Football respectively.

Darren Burgess, Head of Performance, saw his influence rocket also, as Arsenal almost instantaneously became a contemporary, European football club.

It wasn’t all plain-sailing however. Burgess and Mislintat left, so in came former players Edu and Freddie Ljungberg this Summer.

And, well, Arsenal had probably the greatest transfer window since they moved to the Emirates Stadium.

Including Petr Cech’s retirement and the incoming William Saliba’s loan back to St Ettiene for the season, the club had seventeen departures.

Six players also came in, amounting to a net spend of £88.96m, despite numerous claims that there was only going to be £45m available.

The new Arsenal is ruthless. Deadwood and average stalwarts were ousted for new, exciting players who are not just for the future but for the now.

Unai Emery’s Gunners are also different on the pitch. Wengerball is no more. The team now press high, are more vertical in possession and play out from the back to, at times, ridiculous extremes.

The new Arsenal takes risks. There is no patient holding of the ball to try to break down opponents or simply as a defensive tool.

But with risks comes recklessness, sometimes clumsiness, and not always reward.

Granit Xhaka sits in front of the Arsenal defence, not to protect them, but to gather the ball from them and move it forward quickly. He is the metronome.

In games were the Gunners dominate possession, he is immense. His range of passing and commanding is fantastic at times.

Off-the-ball however, it is usually a different story.

Xhaka can commit good tactical fouls at times, the kind Fernandinho and Rodri are lauded for at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, though often he looks sluggish and clumsy.

His discipline is poor, both in terms of tackles and in a positional sense. But I think that this is just Unai Emery’s Arsenal.

Arsenal take risks in possession, throw players forward a lot, often leading to their defensive shortcomings.

“This is his last chance,” I wrote of Arsene Wenger in that same piece from July 2016. “This Summer is just about the most important one in his career. He needs to invest, or he faces the risk of losing his most prized possession: Arsenal FC.”

I was wrong. Wenger would go on to have another season after the 2016/17 instalment. Though now he has indeed lost his most prized possession.

Arsenal now seems lightyears away from the club that beat Huddersfield Town 1-0 away in Wenger’s last game in charge in May 2018.

They are ruthless off the pitch. They take risks on it. Risks that can lead to holes, to gaps, to mistakes.

But the new Arsenal is exciting and, somehow, Granit Xhaka brilliantly personifies that.

By Urban Newton (@urban_newton)