Arsenal: Granit Xhaka is this midfield’s Laurent Koscielny

Arsenal’s midfield has tons of talent, but apparently, that talent is not as talented without Granit Xhaka to anchor. Same with Laurent Koscielny and the defense.

Nothing about this Arsenal defense inspired confidence at the start of the year, and as the goals trickled in, those concerns were justified. There were plenty of bodies, all with varying levels of skills and talents, but it didn’t all come together until Laurent Koscielny came back.

With Koscielny in the back three, there was hope, cohesion, unity, strength. All the things that this defense has been lacking for nearly two years now.

I didn’t think we’d see a similar situation in the midfield. There’s so much talent in this midfield, between Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira, Aaron Ramsey, even Mohamed Elneny is capable of surprises. But without Granit Xhaka to anchor it all and hold it together, it all seems to fall apart or, at the very least, hang on by a thread.

It appears as though Xhaka has become the midfield’s Koscielny. There’s always hope without him, there are capable bodies and able minds, and plenty of options to choose from, but it never seems to work out with the main man.

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There’s a reason behind that. It’s because these people are the glue that holds it together. Koscielny is the captain for the reason, he’s the center peg of a back three and the all-important piece of a back-two. Without Koscielny, there’s really no point in even trying a back two, because no partnership is strong enough.

Xhaka is much of the same. Stick anyone with him, Guendouzi, Torreira, Ramsey, and they get to play the game they want to play. But combine any two other midfielders, and you see a complete change. Even when you put Torreira and Guendouzi, or even if you made it a three-set with those two and Ramsey, you’d still lack that fundamental trait that holds it all together – control.

Koscielny provides control on that back line, he anchors it, and he allows those around him to play their game because his is so steadied and controlled.

Xhaka does the same in the midfield. He makes those around him better. And as of right now, he is the only midfielder on this club that has that quality. Maybe other guys can grow into it in time, but without Xhaka, this midfield is paper thin, yet chocked with talent. Go figure.