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Arsenal: Granit Xhaka And Mohamed Elneny Still Far From Answer
Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny were excellent in Arsenal win over West Ham, leading many to suggest that they can be the answer to the midfield issues.
The win against West Ham United on Wednesday night was an important one for Arsenal. Their first win in the league since their 2-0 home victory over Hull City on February 11th, Arsene Wenger proceeded to see his side inspired by the confidence that the all-important breakthrough early in the second half gave them.
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There were many positives to be drawn from the result and the performance. Alexis Sanchez looked sharp. Mesut Ozil is slowly re-finding his best form. The top four is a possibility that is not yet dead. However, perhaps more pleasing than any other aspect of the display was the pairing of Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny in central midfield.
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It has led many to suggest that the two could yet anchor a successful Arsenal midfield moving forward. This is an extract from Andrew Mangan’s column with ESPN where he discusses the success of the duo from Wednesday night:
"“The issue has been the lack of a partner who complements him [Granit Xhaka] properly, and there were signs that Elneny might be the man to do that over the coming weeks. On the basis of what they did against West Ham, Xhaka and Elneny should start on Monday, and if they can combine the same way, Arsenal will have a good chance of taking the points they need.”"
Wenger, himself, has also praised the performances of Xhaka and Elneny after the win, proclaiming that the tempo that they brought to the side’s passing, creating a foundation for the fluid, interchangeable moves of the attacking quartet, was most pleasing after seeing it absent from his side’s performances for some time.
However, it is a little ambitious to state that the two could develop into the future pairing of Wenger’s midfield. Of the two, Xhaka is the one that has the most potential. Elneny is an excellent squad player who is highly dependable, consistent in his play and solid throughout. However, he is also a little predictable, too safe in his passing, lacking the creativity and ingenuity that is required to ever excel in the Gunners’ system.
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Both are good players and do form a solid partnership with one another. However, if the club has aspirations of ever lifting the Premier League trophy, then improvements will be needed.