Arsenal: Granit Xhaka Helping Himself With Honesty

Arsenal expect big things out of Granit Xhaka, and thanks to the Swiss midfielder’s ability to be honest with himself, they should get it.

Arsenal nation was so pumped when Granit Xhaka was secured early on in the summer transfer window. And the story was exactly what we wanted to hear. Arsene Wenger had been following him and had pretty much secured the transfer the previous summer, he just had to wait a year.

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Wenger promised him paradise and Xhaka came on over to a top tier side, ready to capitalize on all of his immense talent.

It hasn’t been perfect, but it rarely is. Xhaka has made some rash tackles, racked up a nice collection of yellow cards, scored two red cards and given up two penalties, along with some other dubious free kicks.

But there is one thing – well, another thing – that I think we really need to respect about Granit Xhaka. The man is very honest with himself. Whether he is playing well or playing poorly, he can definitely size himself up and learn.

Recently, Xhaka has not been happy with his performances, stating outright that these past few games haven’t been his best. However, he added that he is enjoying himself here and that overall, he is pleased with his performance with his new club.

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This fits hand in hand with what he said earlier in the season. Despite Wenger coming down a bit hard on Xhaka’s disciplinary record. The sometimes-reckless midfielder stood up for what he felt was a part of his mantra as a player. He stated outright that no one will change the way he plays.

Knowing what makes you unique and what makes you who you are is what makes a player special and I think that the Gunners will end up looking brilliant for signing Xhaka. He doesn’t need any sort of special treatment or tutelage because he knows himself well enough to analyze his own patterns.

Xhaka was back at his best again against Lincoln City and it was clear to see why. When you give him that deepest-lying midfield role, you let him camp, wreck and serve. He camps behind play, wrecks any oncoming attacks and serves the ball forward when he wins it back (I’m pretty proud of that).

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Naturally, he earned himself a yellow card for a questionable tackle, but hey, he had to keep the streak alive.