Arsenal: Granit Xhaka not the problem, but not the solution either

Arsenal’s midfield was a huge positive against Nottingham Forest and Granit Xhaka wasn’t there. He has never been the problem, he’s not the solution either.

Arsenal‘s midfield is a work in progress. The good news is that there are so many options across either a two or three man midfield that when one doesn’t work, you can move on to the next and hope for better fortunes.

Against Nottingham Forest, we saw the most conclusive victory yet. Lucas Torreira and Joe Willock teamed up to shut down shop, helped out by a solid defensive effort. And while it was “only Forest,” it was a prototype of the kind of success we may find from this midfield, when properly staffed.

Granit Xhaka was noticeably absent, though this may be the first time where his absence was not, in fact, so noticeable. And while I have been defending him since the beginning of time, I do think that it’s time to spin this in a new direction.

Xhaka is a wholly underrated and invaluable member of this team and it pains me that he will never be appreciated as such. But that said, it might make things easier if I can lower the bar a bit and accept that he is not a part of the solution, even if I still refuse to say he is the problem.

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We’ve seen modern midfield leanings in recent matches and the idea behind it is fantastic, we just don’t have the right people to staff it right now. Or rather, we may very well have the right people, they just aren’t ready yet.

And until they are ready, Xhaka has to be the guy we lean on to see us through into the next era. Because like it or not, Xhaka has the ability to do just that. Which puts him in that zone of not really being part of the solution, but being a hell of a lot more important than people will ever give him credit for.

That said, I still hold to that there is improvement yet to be seen in Xhaka, and there is still a midfield set-up that sees him as the focal point if he is built around and not in spite of.

There is a lot of excitement to be found in the youth of this midfield, but I still find a side dish of excitement knowing that the present state is in good hands as well. And that’s thanks to Xhaka.