Arsenal vs Burnley: Granit Xhaka provided the greatest gift of all

Arsenal needed all hands on deck to stand up to big, bad Burnley, but they did, and Granit Xhaka provided the greatest gift a midfielder could give.

Arsenal’s match against Burnley at Turf Moor took on the shape of every other match that is played at Turf Moor, at least this year. Last year there was always a high degree of defensive solidity, but this year they have the tools to go toe-to-toe with anyone, and they did that.

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Against Tottenham at the Emirates, Arsenal showed up. They had a rock solid spine, they controlled the middle of the pitch, where they were supposed to be overrun, and they shut down the rumors of a power shift in one fell swoop.

But as many have pointed out, that is an easy match to get up for. It’s the North London Derby at home. Of course they are going to show up with energy.

Replicating that energy at Turf Moor was a whole different story, but they were able to do that and they did it through some of the same cast of characters that stepped up against Spurs – namely Granit Xhaka.

Xhaka has been under the microscope all year because of him being played without any sort of protection. He is the defensive shield and he has never had to play that role before. It’s an ongoing experiment.

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However, against Burnley at their fortress, Xhaka was every bit up to the part and he provided the greatest gift that he was in a position to give – confidence. That midfield has been a massive point of contention, given the combination that does’t exactly boast solidity, but Xhaka was solid through and through on the day.

Most importantly, he wasn’t panicked. Despite the high stakes of the match and the intense pressure that they constantly found themselves under, Xhaka was able to take his time when he had it and distribute the ball quickly when he didn’t.

For right now, all I want out of Xhaka is this same feeling of confidence and composure. The rest is standard. His ability to pick out the longball is always going to be there. It’s progress in his lesser areas that he needs work, and there was a lot of clear progress here.

Next: 5 Things Learned Against Burnley

This is a match that could have eaten Xhaka alive, but he did not let it. He was stoic defensively and a sentinel on the ball. More of this, please.