Mikel Arteta may regret parting ways with his former player…
Xhaka-Arsenal-Premier League opinion
Arsenal will see their form from last season in 2023/24. leading into the Premier League campaign of the year, as Mikel Arteta’s team are just one point off the lead after 12 games.
The Gunners narrowly missed out on their first Premier League title since the final season in 2004, finishing narrowly behind potential treble winners Manchester City, who brushed aside everyone en route to glory.
After the initial disappointment of not claiming the title, the north Londoners took 2022/23. 2018 calendar that saw them reach the top flight for the first time since Arsene Wenger’s 2015/16. campaign of the year into the top two.
Arsenal’s progress was visible both on and off the pitch as players developed and belief within the squad grew thanks to Arteta’s tireless enthusiasm. Arteta faced his former colleague Pep Guardiola. mikel-arteta-aron-ramsdale-arsenal-premier-league
Of all the players who represented the Gunners last season, one stood out who made a difference in his time at the Emirates just this season as Granit Xhaka emerged from the shadows to become one of the club’s most important assets.
How much did Arsenal sign Granit Xhaka for?
Wenger signed Xhaka from Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2016 and welcomed the Swiss international at the age of 23 to bolster his squad’s options in midfield.
Arsenal were aware of the caliber of midfielder they got from the cheers of Monchengladbach. He made 140 appearances for his previous employers in various competitions, including the German Bundesliga and the Champions League.
In Xhakaand#039’s final Bundesliga season, his tough presence in the team was highlighted by his excellent averages of 2.4 tackles and 2.7 tackles per game, which reinforced his defensive stability in the engine room.
For these reasons, and the demographics of the player Wenger is looking for in his squad, Arsenal paid the Germany international £30m for the 23-year-old’s services, making him the third most expensive signing in the club’s history at the time . . Granite Xhakaand#039; career at Arsenal
Not many predicted the twists and turns that would follow the signing of the Swiss international, with many aspects of his playing style and personality admired and hated in North London.
Once hailed as a “warrior” by journalist Anu Nande, Xhaka’s combative edge caused him more trouble than good in the early days of his Arsenal career, as the table below shows, as the Basel-born gem was matched with his yellow card. In the Premier League.
Granit Xhaka’s Premier League career at Arsenal
The season
goals
help
Key moves p/g
Handles p/g
Yellow cards
2016/17
2
2
1.1
2.4
5
2017/18
1
7
1
2.1
10
2018/19
4
2
1.4
1.8
10
2019/20
1
2
0.5
1.5
10
2020/21
1
2
0.5
1.6
7
2021/22
1
2
1.2
1.2
10
2022/23
7
7
1.3
0.9
5
Figures via WhoScored
Most notable are the ups and downs in the midfielder’s form, with a significant decline under Unai Emery’s reign and an increase under Arteta, particularly last season.
The 2019/20 campaign has been particularly difficult for the £30m man, whose career at the Emirates looked dead and buried when he was booed off the field and reacted with hostility – ironically as club captain.
Emery took over the captaincy from the Swiss and he was missing, with limited fan support and a lot to prove, fighting his own shock at the situation. The 2022/23 campaign marked a full circle for Xhaka, who found his best form in his final season at Arsenal, where he won back the love and trust of the fans by showing his love for the club with his talent. pitch
Arteta was tempted to give the 31-year-old a more senior role in his final campaign, which worked brilliantly as he scored the best goal of his career when given the freedom to move.
granite-xhaka-arsenal-transfer-manchester-city-yaya-toure-arteta
Before last season, Xhaka’s highest goal contribution in the Premier League was his eight contributions in the 2017/2018 season. This figure was overshadowed by his seven goals and seven assists in the 2022/23 season, which shows his effectiveness. updated role.
A change in attitude, a change in role and the goals of the team had a profound effect on the midfielder, seeing him end his seven years in north London on a high after experiencing some of the lowest moments of his journey.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, seven years in England was enough for the two-time FA Cup winner, who left in search of a new challenge and returned to Germany to sign for Bayer Leverkusen in the summer for a fee of £21.4m. What is Granit Xhaka doing now
The Gunners were delighted after Xhaka left as his exit allowed Declan Rice to make a place in the team and the Englishman left Arteta’s side without having to look back in memory of his departed star.
Regardless, Arsenal will miss the role the 31-year-old carved out so strongly for himself last season, his ability to break the lines and his presence in the final.
Having found the role he is best suited to at the Emirates, Xabi Alonso has enjoyed getting the beast that Arteta found in the brilliance of the 6ft 1 dynamo in the Bundesliga.
The Swiss was hailed as “phenomenal” by EBL analyst Twitter X before his departure, which was confirmed by his number one so far in Leverkusen’s 2023/24 calendar.
Arsenaland#039; Granit Xhaka celebrates scoring his fourth goal
As reported by Squawka, no player in Europe’s top seven leagues has been more successful getting into the final third than Xhaka this season, with the 31-year-old providing a staggering 129 assists. In north London, Arteta still has the best of another midfield signing of the summer in Kai Havertz, a reminder to Arsenal’s players of what they have been missing from their former hero since his departure.
Granit Xhaka 2023/24 Bundesliga statistics and comparison with Havertz PL 23/24
Statistical
Middle
Place in the Bundesliga
Kai Havertzand’s PL average
Transmission