Arsenal: Granit Xhaka dispelling doubters started long ago

Granit Xhaka was instrumental in Arsenal’s Community Shield win over Chelsea on Sunday and his performance is being noticed by the national media and those who doubted him earlier on. However, his dispelling of those doubts did start this weekend; Xhaka has been mightily impressive for some time now.

It would be fair to say that Granit Xhaka did not take to the Premier League like a duck takes to water. Signed for £35 million in the summer of 2016, it was hoped that the Swiss international would anchor the Arsenal midfield as a tough-tackling physical presence that had been painfully absent since the days of Gilberto Silva and Patrick Vieira.

However, while his distribution and stature were impressive and effective, his over-eagerness to commit to challenges, and the subsequent disciplinary problems he suffered, his slow and lethargic decision making, and his crippling immobility when covering ground defensively meant that his early period at the club was marred by overrun display after overrun display.

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He lacked a role. Arsene Wenger, after learning more about the player that he had acquired, found him. When the 3-4-3 system was implemented to close out the season, Wenger immediately paired the marauding, tireless Aaron Ramsey with a more composed and considered version of Xhaka.

It was the ideal partnership. Xhaka had a runner; Ramsey had an orchestrator. In that role, Xhaka was allowed to sit off the play and dictate the tempo of the game from deep. Because of the extra space he was afforded, his lack of agility and balance were not exposed as much, but he was still able to play those penetrating and piercing, forward-thinking passes into Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez because of his exquisite technique.

Xhaka was answering his doubters back then. Only now has his improved performances come into the public light. He was instrumental in Arsenal’s composed and controlled display against Chelsea in the Community Shield, spraying passes with great tempo and accuracy.

He was involved in play more than any other player on the pitch — 100 touches — and maintained an impressive 90% pass accuracy without choosing the safe option, instead willing to take, and succeed in taking, a riskier pass in an attempt to engineer opportunities.

The media are beginning to wake up to Xhaka’s recent success. Despite the lingering concerns regarding his early performances, analysts and pundits are slowly waking up to the fact that this is now a very different player, one who is confident and assured in his role, rather than being lost and confused.

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This coming season is the perfect chance for Xhaka to establish himself as a leading central midfielder. He has the tools, he now has the role and the trust of the manager. He simply needs to perform. The dispelling of his doubters started long ago. He can finish it very soon.

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