Arsenal vs Manchester United: Making Granit Xhaka not matter

Arsenal will be without Granit Xhaka for Manchester United, which means their first task is making him not matter. Good luck with that!

I know what you’re wondering and the answer is yes, this is an article that will primarily praise how irreplaceable Granit Xhaka is in this Arsenal squad. But it will also give some hope regarding how the wound can be bandaged over (although never repaired).

Thanks to Xhaka picking up his fifth yellow card of the season, he will be forced to sit out against United, just as the team was reaching one hell of a peak. And while Xhaka didn’t play any overtly outstanding role in the win over Tottenham, he was, as always, covertly outstanding.

He didn’t give up the ball once. He created the second most chances, he delivered workable balls all day from set pieces and, yet again, no one touched the ball more.

He was the centerpiece of the team yet again. And I don’t think it can be overstated how important it is to have someone who doesn’t always feel the need to be heroic, or do something fancy. Someone who is okay taking his time, surveying his options, and not doing anything rash.

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Because with Xhaka out, we are really going to be testing the resolve and the patience of his replacements.

Matteo Guendouzi will probably start. And I love this kid. But he can be a bit rash with the ball, particularly in his desire to get forward. It’s improving, that much is certain, but he is certainly not yet adept at retaining possession and giving the attack every chance to form up in front of him.

Lucas Torreira, who we all adore, is quite similar. I’m not purposely criticizing these players, I’m just saying, neither one is the kind of player that takes the ball and immediately fortifies it. Torreira and Guendouzi take risks. And that’s fine. But someone has to protect the ball too.

And that someone won’t be Aaron Ramsey, who I think will be the third midfielder in a 3-5-2. Ramsey is another risk taker. Arguably the biggest risk taker on the team. That is what has helped him become such a successful player.

But in the meantime, it puts the team at more… risk. More risk that Xhaka can’t be there to help with.

This is the cast of characters tasked with filling in for Xhaka. Let’s hope it all works out. Because in the task to make Xhaka not matter, someone is going to have to cover his tracks.