Arsenal: Make that two in two against Manchester City for Granit Xhaka

Arsenal’s loss to Manchester City felt like more of the same, but surprisingly, that wasn’t so bad for some people, including Granit Xhaka.

As was always the case with any given Arsenal match – anything could have happened. Unfortunately, very little changed between the Carabao Cup final and the Premier League match-up in freezing temperatures.

Formations changed, personnel changed, but the result and the flow the match remained the same. The Gunners looked determined at first, and to their credit, kept up the pressure longer than in the Carabao Cup final, but in the end, it was all futile, and they were left clutching at straws.

Yet, there are always going to be positives to glean from any given match and, for what it’s worth (not much, granted) there were a few players that were determined not to let this game look as ugly as it did in their previous duel.

As is usually the case with me, I’d first like to draw attention to Granit Xhaka. For as much as he is criticized, this is now two matches for Xhaka, both against Manchester City, where he has done the things he is most criticized for not being able to do.

He led the team in tackles won, and they weren’t just ordinary tackles, they were all pretty crucial. He led the team in ball winning plays. He was a commander in the middle of the pitch, despite the fact that was a commander, his troops collapsed around him.

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Maybe I’m being immature about this, but in my search for positivity, which even I am finding hard, I have found so much in Xhaka, who was fighting until the end to win the ball back, to push forward, and to make a difference, even if it meant next to nothing.

It is remarkably easy to play well when all of your team mates are playing well around you, but it is damn difficult to play well when no one else is. Xhaka played well when very few others were. He made himself available as an outlet, he defended deep, pressured forward and looked every bit up to facing City. Again, despite the fact that so few others were.

What’s my point in bringing this out and preaching to a bunch of fans that probably don’t want to hear it? I’m not sure. I’ve accepted that no matter how much I write about Xhaka, it probably isn’t going to win many people over. Maybe I just want people to start seeing him for what he is. And in this particular match, he was a fighter.

Next: Arsenal vs Manchester City Player Ratings

He was one of the few people that I was not ashamed of. And that has to count for something.

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