Arsenal vs Chelsea: Granit Xhaka has new level to strive for

Arsenal are down one play-maker, so the pressure falls on the other the make the most of the pressure being heaped on him.

Arsenal will be without the services of Mesut Ozil, as he trained separately from his team mates prior to the crucial match against Chelsea, and while I am optimistic in the team’s ability to cope, a lot of that optimism comes from my faith in Granit Xhaka, who has to step up as a major player against a major opponent.

I don’t think I’m over-exaggerating when I say that Xhaka is just as effective a passer as Mesut Ozil, they just have two different styles of creation. Xhaka is a howitzer, lobbing balls in from deep and Ozil is a sniper, picking out the best passes.

Without that latter option, the front three will turn into more of a spearhead. Alexis Sanchez is a capable creator himself, but between him, Danny Welbeck and Alexandre Lacazette, they are going to need midfield support to aide them in their quest to pierce the Blues’ defenses.

And, as I mentioned earlier today, I see Xhaka as the primary benefactor, should he rise to the calling. With so much speed ahead of him, if Xhaka can find enough time on the ball, he should be able to spray that ball liberally in an attempt to open up the defense.

After all, those created chances are going to have to come from somewhere.

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The two fullbacks play a big part too, as they will be called upon to serve reliable, penetrating balls from wide angles, but there has to be some sort of thrust from the middle and Xhaka is just the guy to do it.

His passing ability is one of those weapons that you don’t necessarily rely on, because it isn’t always there, but if you can maximize it, it adds an entirely new dimension to the attack and without Ozil, the attack will certainly need dimensions. Because speed alone does not win games. Just as Liverpool. Or Theo Walcott.

The question is how well Xhaka can fend off N’Golo Kante. That dude can literally be everywhere, and a lot of what Xhaka hopes to accomplish will require time on the ball, which is hard to do with Kante snapping at your heels. Retaining possession is obviously critical, and having feasible outlets like Kolasinac, Welbeck and Alexis will provide alternatives that should free up the long ball just a bit more.

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There haven’t been a lot of matches where we’ve really been relying on Xhaka to go above (no pun intended) and beyond. Hopefully he can rise to the occasion.

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