Arsenal: Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira and the end of the Granit Xhaka

In Arsenal’s remarkable 3-2 comeback victory over Aston Villa, with the brilliance of Matteo Guendouzi and uniqueness of Lucas Torreira, did we see the end of Granit Xhaka?

Entering the season, Arsenal head coach Unai Emery was handed more central midfield options than ever before. While Aaron Ramsey had departed on a free transfer, Matteo Guendouzi was hoped to take a step forward, Joe Willock emerged as a genuine starting option, while Dani Ceballos was signed as a pressure-releasing number eight.

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Last season, Granit Xhaka was crucial to Emery’s midfield set-up. Rightly or wrongly, the Spaniard trusted the midfield general to dictate play from deep and anchor a midfield bursting with creative, possession-based players. But part of that trust stemmed from a lack of alternatives. Xhaka was not entire trainwreck last year, but even after his poor performances, Emery did not exactly have anyone else to use anyway.

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This year, however, the midfield picture is very different. The reliance on Xhaka is no longer necessary. Emery has other options. This emergence of alternative players has also coincided with a serious drop in form for Xhaka.

In Sunday’s 3-2 win over Aston Villa, Xhaka was once more at his worst. Slow and cumbersome, he was routinely outmanouevred by the more mobile Villa pairing of John McGinn and Jack Grealish. He struggled to shield the defence because of his lack of speed and agility, committed several stupid, overeager fouls, including pulling Grealish back after being completely spun around on the halfway line for a yellow card, and was a major detriment to the Gunners’ defensive work against the Villa counter-attack.

More concerningly, his play in possession was also very poor. His passing was slow and delayed, allowing Villa to recover their defensive structure, he seemingly forgot how to control a football when he pushed higher up the pitch in the second half, and he could not set a high tempo of distribition when playing against the high press early in the game — to me, this, incidentally, is more concerning than his defensive problems as it is what he is in the team to do.

And while Xhaka was toiling, eventually booed by the Emirates crowd when he was withdrawn in the second half, his understudy has surpassed him. Matteo Guendouzi was again excellent on Sunday. He made a criminal mistake for the opening goal, doing his best impression of Xhaka as he let McGinn run free, but recovered tremendously in the second half, eventually the inspiration for the remarkable ten-man comeback.

Similarly, Lucas Torreira is utterly unique and possesses a skill set that no other Arsenal midfielder can replicate. He may be a little more limited when in possession, though he is not exactly incapable, but his mobility, scrappy attitude and defensive acumen make him a singular player in the squad. No one can do his job, while Guendouzi can do Xhaka’s and more.

Could, then, this be the end of Xhaka? His form is disastrous. His replacements are better and more unique. And Arsenal are now a better team without him. And although Emery might not have woken up to this development, the Emirates most certainly has.