Arsenal: Granit Xhaka quickly becoming an institution

Granit Xhaka has had an interesting first year with Arsenal, but as the season winds down, it’s clear that the Swiss will become something special.

It’s been one hell of a year for Granit Xhaka. The man was so highly thought of by Arsene Wenger that Le Prof followed him for an entire year, patiently waiting, before making the swoop to bring him to Arsenal. He promised him paradise at his new club.

Xhaka is a competitor, so taking his game to the next level was obviously a huge priority, and Wenger provided that at a club that would give him every chance in the world to be one of the best out there.

It was clear early on what problems the Swiss had. He was a gritty, tooth-and-nail kind of guy, but he wasn’t a good tackler. That’s a problem. He was also impetuous at times. When he gave the ball up, he would foolishly lash out, accumulate fouls and yellow cards, and have to deal with that for the rest of the match.

And then he said he wouldn’t change. Which got some people rather worried. He didn’t appear willing to adjust his rash tackling habits.

But then he clarified. He may not be willing to change his style, but he could learn. And learn he has.

The match against Sunderland really showed how much Xhaka had learned in such a short time span. The Swiss had been very effective lately, ever since the 3-4-3 had been introduced. The added freedom allowed him to use his superb passing skills to spread the pitch to his liking. He was consistently holding down the most touches on the team because he knew best what to do with it to avoid giving the ball away.

We hadn’t really seen him at risk of a bad game since the formation changed.

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Against Sunderland, Xhaka was at risk for a very bad game. He gave up the ball several times early on and you could tell he was a bit frustrated. But through it all, he collected just one foul. He did not lash out or make any reckless tackles like we are used to seeing him do. Nothing like that.

And, if you can believe it, not only did he not give in to his frustrations, but he actually improved. What seemed like it might turn out to be a rough outing for the Swiss quickly became a rather positive one. He created six chances, which ranked in behind only Mesut Ozil, who had his way with 12 chances created.

Xhaka also completed 16 of his 18 long balls. I don’t know if it’s being fully appreciated how special his long passing is. No other non-defender in the Premier League completes more long balls than Xhaka. Nobody. And he even has almost as many as Petr Cech.

If Xhaka learned that quickly how to absorb the frustrations of being dispossessed and overcome it in more positive ways, then this man is on the fast track to becoming an institution. Find him the right partner(s) (Aaron Ramsey + someone who can actually stay healthy) and let him hold down that position for years to come.

Next: 4 Reasons Granit Xhaka Is Not The Worst Signing Ever

There is no substituting the unique set of skills be brings to the fray. And while he may spray the occasional long shot into the third row, I will happily take that, accepting that there is even the smallest of chances that he could score a blazer.