Arsenal: Stripping Granit Xhaka captaincy just the start

Granit Xhaka has been stripped of the Arsenal captaincy. The decision from Unai Emery is just the start. The midfielder should now be dropped from the team entirely.

Looking back, it was always going to end this way. After trudging off the pitch, goading the Arsenal fans with his arms, telling them to ‘f*ck off’, cupping his ear, and then storming down the tunnel, Granit Xhaka was always facing an uphill battle to keep hold of the captain’s armband.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Unai Emery out, again

And so it has proved, head coach Unai Emery confirming that Xhaka would be stripped of the captaincy in his pre-match press conference before Wednesday’s Europa League match against Vitoria SC. In his place, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, arguably the most popular player at the club, will take on the armband.

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But this development means that much more for Xhaka than it does the Arsenal captaincy. While the decision to appoint Aubameyang is a telling one, given the immediate support he will encounter from the fans, it is Xhaka the impact that this decision might have on his future in north London that is the real story here. Because, although the Swiss international has predominantly been a key player under Emery, he might now be stripped of more than just the captaincy.

In both of the last two games that he has started, Emery has substituted Xhaka with his team needing a goal, the infamous withdrawal against Crystal Palace and the 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United just six days prior. On both occasions, Emery recognised Xhaka as a problem and felt that not having his captain on the pitch gave his team the best chance of victory. That is very revealing.

It is also illuminating that Emery was so hesitant to hand Xhaka the captaincy in the first place. Why was he so cautious to just name him club captain even when Xhaka did everything that you would expect a captain to do? For whatever reason, Emery doubted Xhaka’s leadership and longevity.

This all leads to a rather obvious point: Xhaka’s days in the first team could well be coming to an end. After all, given his recent performances, there is little reason for him to be in the team because of his play, and if he is not in the team for his personality, why would you have him start in the first place?

Whether Xhaka deserves such an unceremonious dumping is another question entirely. For all of his footballing faults, he has been a loyal and committed player, someone who embodies many of the positive, human qualities of modern football. But it is what he is getting, and based on his play alone, it is not unjustified.

The time of Xhaka the captain, then, was a brief, ferocious affair. The time of Xhaka the player is hanging by a thread, and, if the tea leaves are to be read correctly, that thread is splintering with every passing day.