Arsenal vs Watford: It’s Granit Xhaka or bust

Arsenal need to get Granit Xhaka back against Watford or it runs the risk of becoming another Everton all over again. So help us.

It was so obvious what went wrong for Arsenal against Everton. Yes, they had very little fight, and the attack was feeble, and all that is undeniable, but don’t lose track of where the root of the failure took place – it was right in the midfield.

What has been our strength all season collapsed in a big way because of the availability of players. Aaron Ramsey was unfit to start, Lucas Torreira was suspended, Granit Xhaka was hurt, which left Matteo Guendouzi and Mohamed Elneny and I won’t go into detail, suffice to say it was horrid.

The main thing the midfield was lacking was control, it’s the only thing the midfield ever lacks, because Lord knows they never lack energy and determination. They have that in ample quantities, and they had it against Everton. But it was like a headless chicken.

Napoli was different, and not just because it was at home. Aaron Ramsey and Lucas Torreira were intelligent and well-mannered, while also showing that exuberance we love to see in our midfield.

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It was a welcome step in the right direction, but I have no doubts that Granit Xhaka would have made it even better, and that’s what makes it so important against Watford – it does need to be better, because this is an away match which is something completely different.

A part of me believes that Unai Emery could have started Xhaka against Napoli, but withheld him to allow him to be fully fit for Watford, knowing that the No. 1 thing we need against the Hornets is control in that midfield. We need to not only win the battle of the midfield, but be able to hold dominion over it as well. Ramsey and Torreira can win the battle, but Xhaka is needed to hold that dominion over it.

Without that bit, we are going to see far too much of Doucoure, far too much of Capoue, just like we saw far too much of Andre Gomes and Idrissa Gueye.

As it stands, there is no other way around what Granit Xhaka provides. The likelihood of an away victory is exponentially higher if he is in this midfield, holding down control. Without him, we are relying on a whole lot of question marks, and ain’t nobody got time for that.