Arsenal and Granit Xhaka: Is there any way back?

After being stripped of the captaincy, Granit Xhaka was again exiled from Arsenal’s matchday squad against Vitoria SC on Wednesday. Is there any way back for the disgraced and hugely disgruntled midfielder?

Reflecting on Granit Xhaka’s slow, goaded trudging off the Emirates pitch as the stanchions booed is not the most of enjoyable experiences. The vitriol from 60,000 fans, and millions more at home. Responding with an expletive-laden demand. The atmosphere descended into mire and misery, a unity around toxicity. It was not nice.

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From that moment on, Xhaka’s Arsenal career was always in the balance. Not only were his performances an increasing problem; as the captain of the team, he had now told the supporters ‘f*ck off’. No matter the vile abuse he had received, both prior to the match on social media and in the stadium, that is unacceptable.

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Head coach Unai Emery suddenly had a decision to make. Xhaka, too. The Swiss international needed to apologise. Everyone knew that. But it took four days for any sort of statement to come, and once it did arrive in the public sphere, it was as much an explanation for his reaction that it was an apology for it. Xhaka was not sorry. He was frustrated, and understandably so.

Emery took even longer to make his mind up. Perhaps motivated by a statement that made no mention of his support for Xhaka, and also by the fact that Xhaka has shown little footballing progress in his fourth season at the club, Emery eventually confirmed that Xhaka would be stripped of the captaincy. A blockbuster decision. Perhaps a little harsh. But understandable.

Since the Crystal Palace contention, Xhaka has not featured for Arsenal. In fact, he has not even been a part of a matchday squad, including Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Vitoria SC in the Europa League, which seemed like the perfect opportunity to reintroduce the midfielder.

According to The Times, Xhaka is not only unhappy with Emery’s decision; he is now considering a January exit if his playing time continues to dwindle:

"“Xhaka is understood to be hurt by the decision and recognises that he needs to play regularly to retain his place in the Switzerland squad, which he captains, for Euro 2020. It means he is likely to move in January, potentially returning to Germany.”"

It is becoming increasingly obvious, then, to ask whether there is a way back for Xhaka at Arsenal, and not just as a captain and key player, but simply as a rotational option to be used as depth in the Premier League and anchor sides in lesser competitions. The prospects look bleak for a once £35 million player.

If there is some hope for Xhaka, Shkodran Mustafi is perhaps it. Few players have endured the same amount of fan abuse as the German defender. He showed his support for Xhaka on Wednesday and likely understands his teammate’s troubles better than anyone. But this season, accepting his role in the Europa League and cup team, he has slowly rehabilitated his reputation. He will never be popular in north London, but he is not hated in the same way as last season. But that route requires Xhaka to accept a backseat role in the squad. He is not the type of personality to slip into the shadows.

All in all, then, Xhaka’s time at Arsenal could well be nearing an end. He has not made the last three matchday squads, he is no longer the captain, and a decreasing number of fans believe he should be a part of the team. It would be quite the turnaround from here.