Arsenal Vs Burnley: Granit Xhaka’s bread and butter?

Arsenal’s upcoming trip to Burnley offers another chance for Granit Xhaka to rebuild what is a crumbling reputation. This type of game should, should, be his bread and butter.

It would be fair to say that Granit Xhaka has not lived up to his billing. Borussia Monchengladbach captain, the midfield general, the highly-rated Bundesliga orchestrator, with a steely streak in the tackle. He was meant to be the leader of Arsenal’s midfield. Over a year later, that has not come to pass.

Related Story: Arsenal Vs Burnley: 5 key players to watch

It is easy to forget that he cost £35 million. In terms of pure central midfielders, only Paul Pogba has ever commanded a higher fee than Xhaka, excluding the incoming Naby Keita who is yet to arrive, and looking past the likes of Kevin de Bruyne and Mesut Ozil, who I have considered as attacking midfielders, rather than the deeper-lying, box-to-box role that Xhaka will fill. He has not reached the level that such a price demands.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 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
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

His main issues have come against a mobile, high energy, high pressing midfield. His lack of athleticism, extended turning circle, and dependence on his left foot, which is criminal the professional level, mean that he struggles to release the ball quickly and accurately, especially when under pressure from an opponent.

He is also exposed when opposing teams break at pace. Because of the greater ground that he has to cover when the Arsenal wing-backs and midfielders are pressed up the pitch, teams can isolate Xhaka in the middle of the pitch and simply manoeuvre past him without too much trouble.

But as Arsenal prepare to travel to Turf Moor to face Burnley, a disciplined and deep-lying side that will shy away from pressing their visitors, Xhaka will have time and space on the ball, to spray passes left and right with the dead-eye accuracy that rarely deserts him.

His pass completion percentage is only 83%. For a deep-lying defensive midfielder, that is not good enough. His passing issues, though, have primarily come when put under pressure the opposition, not when he has the freedom to get his head up and pick his pass.

And that will be the case on Sunday against Burnley. Sean Dyche’s side will sit deep and look to frustrate their visitors through compacting the space in and around the penalty area. The attacking onus will be on the Gunners, and with time on the ball limited in the final third, Xhaka will have to be able to pierce the Burnley defensive ranks with accurate, penetrative passes from a deeper position.

Next: Arsenal Vs Burnley: Predicted starting XI

This is the type of game that suits Xhaka down to the ground. It his bread and butter. He should flourish. But I have little confidence in his ability to do so.