Arsenal vs Crystal Palace: 5 key players to make it three straight

1. Granit Xhaka

The main man. Rededicated and better than ever. Mikel Arteta set out to make Xhaka a focal point of this starting XI and it’s paying massive dividends with performance after performance of Xhaka being a key figure, holding order in the middle of the pitch.

So much of Arsenal’s successes lately have come down to midfield presence. Presence. It’s the one word I say more than any other here at Pain in the Arsenal. Mostly in relation to how much Xhaka provides of it.

When we have midfield presence, the attack has more flexibility, the defense has more confidence, and the opposing team can’t establish a base of operations to attack. They can’t get comfortable.

When we don’t have a midfield presence, we’re left scrambling for scraps, our defense is left stretched, and we can’t establish our own base of operations.

Lately, the only time we lacked that presence was in the first half against Leeds. Everything else has been distinctly characterized by a sturdy foothold in the middle, and it’s Granit Xhaka who has the most to say in that theater.