Arsenal vs Bournemouth: Granit Xhaka’s time to shine

Arsenal have been facing questions aplenty with their midfield combination, but Granit Xhaka should have his chance to shine against Bournemouth.

Arsenal’s midfield pairing of Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka has come under intense scrutiny because of the seemingly impractical match. Ramsey is known for (and most valuable for) his bombarding runs forward, while Xhaka likes to sit back and play the long ball.

Related Story: Arsenal's Predicted FIFA 18 Player Ratings

This can work very well in tandem except for when other teams are aggressively pressing Xhaka in the middle of the pitch, at which point he is prone to giving the ball away.

Whether you are of the school of thought that blames Xhaka entirely or of the opposing school (of which I belong) that blames everyone else for leaving Xhaka to fend for himself with no outlets or support, the result is the same – disaster.

Xhaka could really use a nice return to form and, thankfully, Bournemouth should provide him of that.

Playing at Stoke City and at Liverpool, those are always going to be high-intensity, pesky opponents who will press and press and have the ability to do so.

Bournemouth falls into the same category as Leicester City. They are not a team that is going to go toe to toe  with Arsenal at the Emirates. In fact, both Leicester and Bounemouth show about the same intensity when their opponent has the ball, statistically speaking, with the Cherries ranking just a few places behind the Foxes in tackles, interceptions and fouls.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park

Bournemouth also rank dead last in the Premier League in action in the middle of the pitch. Meaning that of all the other teams out there, the Cherries spend the least amount of time in the middle and the fifth least amount of time in the opposing third.

They will be looking to counter. They will try to absorb and strike quickly. Which is the kind of set-up Xhaka needs to get his feet back underneath him.

The Swiss midfielder needs time. And if time isn’t there for him, he needs outlets. While I would hope that by now, Wenger has recognized the need for outlets and will use the likes of Sead Kolasinac to provide more of that, there should still be far more time than he is used to having this time out.

Next: Arsenal's 30 Greatest Players Ever

Xhaka had two strong assists against Leicester and five chances created. This is what he can do when given a fighting chance to work his magic. No doubt Bournemouth are aware of this and will try to put some sort of pressure on him, but it won’t be as hectic as it was against Liverpool, that’s for sure.