Arsenal: Granit Xhaka’s Harm To Good Ratio In Solid Standing

Arsenal signed Granit Xhaka and anticipated great things out of him. While he has been moreso good than great, he sure hasn’t been a harm.

Arsenal knew what they were getting when they signed Granit Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach. Nothing that we have seen from the Swiss this year has been surprising (in a bad way) and nothing that he has done (in a bad way) cannot be fixed.

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But the varying opinions of Xhaka across the media sphere are not kind. Former Liverpool man Didi Hamann is of the opinion that “He’s caused them more harm than good this season,” (as quoted by the Daily Express).

I can’t seem to wrap my head around this opinion, as it seems to be more blind speculation than anything else.

Xhaka has absolutely made some poor decisions this season, surrendering two penalties and garnering two red cards. I’m not defending those actions and I do have faith that he will iron them out.

But to say that those brief lapses have done more harm than an entire season of good is ridiculous. For one main reason. While it may have put the Gunners in a nervy spot, it didn’t, in the end, harm them all that much.

You look at his two red cards, one against Swansea City and one against Burnley. Arsenal still won them both. Again, did it put us in a spot of bother? Absolutely. But in the end, it didn’t harm us. That is, unless you want to admit that his absence from suspension harmed Arsenal (which I would absolutely claim). But claiming that, from a Xhaka doubter, is admitting how useful he is.

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Then look at his two penalties. The one against Stoke, which I’m still not convinced should have been a penalty, was made up for. Gunners won 3-1.

The one against Bournemouth was the only rough one, the only one that really harmed us, but you can’t pin that entire match, which was atrocious, on Xhaka. Especially as he nabbed an assist to make up for it.

Statistically speaking, Hamann is absolutely wrong. And while I can’t say that Xhaka has necessarily won us anything (although he did have a crucial goal against Ludogorets), I can say that he has been, in the current state of the squad, our best midfielder.

That doesn’t necessarily speak highly of the state of this midfield, but Xhaka has brought that degree of control that none of our other midfielders have. He has had some magnificent games in the center of the pitch that don’t come out in the numbers. Think of his starting debut against Watford or, more recently, his solidity in the 4-0 win over Swansea.

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Xhaka has absolutely not done us more harm than good. So shake that nonsense out of your mind.