Despite being third in the league, sitting one point behind Manchester City, losing just one game this season and winning their first two matches of the Europa League, Arsenal manager Unai Emery is still dividing opinion.
Arsenal’s results look positive, especially given the current struggles of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and even City. Yet, there is a feeling that their progress is papering over the cracks, with the club failing to beat a side by more than one goal in the league this season. Are they becoming more pragmatic or are they just lucky? That is up for debate.
Other brave decisions are dividing opinion, also. Starman Mesut Ozil has fallen out of favour as Emery sides with players who do more work off the ball, while the promotion of younger, less experienced players like Bukayo Saka, Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson has brought with it as much risk as it has optimism for the future.
Another highly discussed feature of Emery’s reign has been his trust in Granit Xhaka. Not only is Xhaka a regular at the base of Arsenal’s midfield, but the Swiss international is also now captain of the club after the acrimonious departure of Laurent Koscielny to Bordeaux in the summer. Both of Emery’s decisions regarding Xhaka have been met with confused and frustrated responses but there is evidence to suggest that his trust in such a divisive player may be a sensible one.
Is Granit Xhaka an Asset or a Liability at Arsenal?
What Granit Xhaka Brings
A primary feature of Xhaka’s game is his passing and ball retention ability. So far this season, the 27-year-old has played 449 passes in the Premier League – the tenth most of any midfielder in the division and only 12 fewer than Arsenal’s top midfield passer, Matteo Guendouzi. In addition, a passing accuracy of nearly 87% suggests that Xhaka is accurate in spreading play and keeps Arsenal’s passing game under control.
Xhaka also adds bite to Arsenal’s midfield. He has made 13 tackles in the league this season – again, the second most at Arsenal behind Guendouzi – and has made some key challenges and interceptions which have broken up attacks. While for many years Arsenal’s lack of midfield aggression was seen as a weakness, Xhaka’s competitiveness is making sure that is less of an issue.
Rash Aspects
However, the rash side of Xhaka’s game is also proving to have an adverse effect on his side. He has committed the second-most fouls (16) of any player in the league this season and has already picked up four yellow cards in the process – only Crystal Palace’s Luka Milivojevic (five) has more. Xhaka also received the most yellows (ten) of any Arsenal player, as well as making 45 fouls, in the 2018/19 campaign.
What’s more, Xhaka rash nature seems to also be costing his side in key areas. According to Opta, since August 2016, the midfielder has been responsible for six errors which have led to goals against his side – the other players with a higher number in this metric have all been goalkeepers.
Deep Criticism
Perhaps Xhaka’s most highlighted error came in the entertaining 2-2 draw with Tottenham in September, when he slid in on Heung-Min Son in the box and conceded a penalty, which resulted in Arsenal going 2-0 down. “Madness from Xhaka,” said Sky Sports’ Gary Neville during the game, which ended 2-2. “An experienced player who never becomes experienced. I’ve seen him do the same thing week in, week out, season in, season out. He doesn’t seem to learn.”
Fellow pundit Graeme Souness was equally critical. “He’s 26 years old,” the former Liverpool man told Sky. “That’s something you learn in your first week as a professional footballer. Disgraceful.” Arsenal had to fight back but you would be forgiven for thinking how many points better off they would be had Xhaka’s moments of madness been avoided.
Xhaka’s lack of mobility also remains a concern. He was recorded in 2018 as one of the slowest players in the league and his transition into the holding midfield role at the expense of the combative Lucas Torreira has been less than well-received. The Uruguayan was impressive last season, making more tackles (51) than any other Arsenal midfielder, as well as 35 interceptions.
Leadership Qualities
Despite the flaws, however, the bottom line is that Emery likes Xhaka, and not just for his ability on the ball. The Arsenal boss sees leadership qualities in him too. “(He) is a very important player for us,” said Emery in response to criticism of the Swiss. “He has a big commitment and he is improving. I am not asking people to support him but I am sure he is going to achieve the best things if the supporters help him.”
It’s not just Emery who is a fan of Xhaka, either. The former Borussia Monchengladbach man is a popular figure in the dressing room and it says something that when Emery consulted his players about making Xhaka club captain, a large number of the team agreed with the decision.
“There are a lot of things [Xhaka does behind the scenes]”, said Sokratis after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United. “Because when you arrive on the pitch for the 90 minutes, it is all from the week before and I think Granit and all of the other players work really hard for the team. Granit has been here a lot of years so I don’t find things as to why he shouldn’t be the captain.”
Xhaka’s example off the field is believed to be having a positive influence on the Arsenal team, especially with the aforementioned younger and more vulnerable players, and that is said to have been a key factor behind his appointment as club captain.
It’s his example on the field, however, that is yet to win people over. The likelihood is that Granit Xhaka will remain a constant figure in Arsenal’s side for the near future but his rashness and lack of mobility remain a concern. This season provides a big chance to prove that his more of an asset than a liability to his side’s chances of success.
Main Photo
