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Arsenal: Granit Xhaka Becoming Immaculate
By Josh Sippie
Arsenal have really landed a gem in Granit Xhaka, am I right? I mean, is there anything this guy can do wrong? It seems like everything is just perfect.
Arsenal’s first, and thus far only, signing of the summer is turning out to be quite the guy. Granit Xhaka, also known as the Swiss Army Knife, has been a star turn in the Euros so. Everyone knew this guy had a lot of talent, and he put it on display at Borussia Monchengladbach, but to see him do it on the biggest stage available? That is something else.
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No one has completed more passes in the Euros than our very own Xhaka. Granted (Granit… granted…) his Swiss side has only been able to put in two goals, but Arsenal has a bit more firepower than that.
The point is that Xhaka has control. Absolute control. He simply does not lose possession and every pass finds its target. But he also knows how to launch long balls into the waiting path of charging teammates. We have seen it work before.
Let’s just take another moment to fantasize about how that will fit in at Arsenal. Paired up with, I presume, Santi Cazorla, there is a very real chance Arsenal will simply never lose possession in the middle of the pitch.
Aaron Ramsey was a bit volatile in the middle. He recklessly gave the ball away at times and, well, until that clears up, he is a risk.
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Even going beyond the play on the pitch, Arsenal have seen nothing but positive signs from their new man. One of the most popular images of the Euros thus far, right up there with Payet crying, has to be the look on Xhaka’s face when he went up to hug his new Arsenal team mate, Olivier Giroud.
I mean, what can’t he do, right?
Arsenal’s upcoming season is a massive test. Xhaka is going to be a major part of it because he fills a roll that Arsenal have been lacking for so long. No, he isn’t the traditional defensive midfielder, but he is a warrior and he isn’t opposed to doing the extra bit of hard work that separates the good from the great.
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There’s just too much excitement. The Euros are doing a good job to stem the tide but the Arsenal team that takes the pitch at the start of the season is going to look a lot different. And Granit Xhaka is going to be right at the center of it.