Arsenal: 5 players who exceeded expectations in 2019/20

4. Granit Xhaka

You might think I am a little mad for including a man who was the captain of the team at the start of the season, performed terribly for the first two months, told supporters to ‘f*ck off’, was subsequently left brooding at home for a month, wanted to leave midway through the campaign, and was stripped of the captaincy on a list of players who have exceeded expectations. And to some extent, you would be entirely correct.

Yet, while the first half of the season was traumatically catastrophic for Granit Xhaka and almost ended his Arsenal career, ever since the turn of the year and the introduction of Mikel Arteta as head coach, the Swiss international has turned things around, on and off the pitch.

Shockingly, he is now performing like a crucial cog in an effective midfield. He is a leader on the pitch, has worked tremendously hard behind the scenes, and has even managed to recover his relationship with supporters, who are largely on board his inclusion in the squad and starting XI. From where he was just a few months ago, it is a remarkable resurrection.