Arsenal: Don’t pretend like Granit Xhaka hasn’t improved

Arsenal fans have been on Granit Xhaka’s back since he arrived, but to act like he hasn’t improved is so grossly blind it’s not even funny.

As many of you know, I have little patience for any Arsenal fans that so wantonly hate on Granit Xhaka. I will accept criticism, because any player can be criticized, but to say that he isn’t good for anything is something I can’t stand for.

The same goes to say that he hasn’t improved.

After his foul in the North London Derby, it’s been the same old chirping. “Granit Xhaka will never change.” But that is so woefully in accurate that it’s hard to decide which angle to take in order to refute it.

We could take the statistical approach first. Look at the key figures. He is getting dribbled past progressively less with each year. This year it’s currently at half as likely as it was when he first arrived. Which was a major criticism of him in his early years.

He’s creating progressively more chances with each year, this year currently at his highest with 1.7 created chances per match.

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Dispossessions are the same thing. Progressively better with each year up until this year, which is the lowest of his professional career.

Meaning that he is creating more chances, playing his position better, and holding onto the ball better than ever before. Yet people still want to say he is incapable of improving, when he’s improving right before their eyes.

Speaking of which, throw away the stats, which many of you are so keen to do anyway.

Last year was Xhaka’s best year. There was a palpable difference in any match where he wasn’t there due to injury. So, so palpable. There was a keen lack of control an obvious lack of security with the ball in the midfield. It was so obvious that even the haters were admitting that he was key.

Then he got hurt, struggled to get back into his best, and they disregarded him again.

It’s the same thing every time. Xhaka proves himself, slips up once, and everything is forgotten. Here’s a fun fact—everyone makes mistakes. Notice how no one is panicking about Nicolas Pepe‘s missed chance against Liverpool? How they’re not saying he’s worthless? Notice how no one panics when Aubameyang misses chances? Same thing.

You take the good with the bad, especially when the good is in such an overwhelming majority but, unfortunately, the bad is just a bigger talking point.