Arsenal Vs Watford: Granit Xhaka’s worst nightmare

Arsenal host Watford on Saturday afternoon as they look to continue their four-game winning streak in the Premier League. The Hornets are Granit Xhaka’s worst nightmare. Here’s why.

It’s been a prosperous period for Arsenal of late. Four wins in succession in the Premier League, six in all competitions. The performances haven’t quite matched the results, and that will catch them out if it doesn’t change throughout the season. But that should not take away from the recent success that the team has enjoyed.

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And on Saturday, the Gunners play their fourth home game in ten days, hosting high-flying Watford as they look to win their fifth successive league game. It is not an easy game by any stretch of the imagination. And there is one player in particular who could well be quaking in his boots when it comes to facing the Hornets.

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The style that Javi Garcia has employed at Watford is one that perfectly challenges and potentially exposes the weaknesses of Granit Xhaka. I do want to stress that this is not a ‘bash Granit Xhaka’ article. I have been negative about his performances so far this season. But this is not another piece simply slamming in his shortcomings and inabilities. Rather, it is a warning of what could be a rather rough afternoon for the Swiss international, and also a highlighting of the opportunity for Xhaka to prove that he is learning and improving.

Xhaka’s most pertinent and pointed problems stem from his lack of athleticism. He cannot provide adequate defensive protection because he can’t cover the space in front of the back four. He can’t play quickly and at a tempo because he takes too long to turn with poor agility and balance. He gets caught out in tackles and bypassed in counter-attacks because he makes poor decisions and then lacks the pace to recover his position.

All these elements have been mastered by Garcia’s Watford. They have won more open-play turnovers in the opposition’s half than any other team in the league with 99, the next best being Manchester City with 84, and yet they only have an average possession of 45% in comparison with City’s 66%.

That tells us two things: Watford are very good at winning the ball high up the pitch; once they’ve won the ball, they attack directly and quickly, with forward passes that look to be as efficient as possible, taking advantage of the space available because of the forced turnover. These are all tactics that painfully contest the precise weaknesses of Xhaka’s game.

He struggles greatly when he is pressed. He provides little protection against fast-breaking attacks. He wants time and space on the ball to dictate play and orchestrate moves from deep, and the chance to set himself defensively and organise the midfield’s shape. He won’t get either.

Watford are the perfectly built team to take advantage of Xhaka’s shortcomings. That is both worrying, from an Arsenal perspective, and promising for Xhaka himself. He now has a chance that is learning from his mistakes and changing his game as a result. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that he will take it.