Arsenal: 3 reasons Granit Xhaka is not the future

1. Arteta is protecting him

Granit Xhaka’s recent form has been extremely encouraging. He has been exposed less frequently defensively, his passing range has been used effectively, and he has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts under head coach Mikel Arteta, who admitted that the midfielder asked to leave the club in January.

However, while all that may be true, dig a little deeper and the reason for Xhaka’s uptick in performance is not due to his improvements as a footballer, but rather the situations that Arteta has crafted for him in the slanted 4-2-3-1 shape that the Spaniard has implemented.

Xhaka plays a left-sided central midfield role that allows him to drop into a left-sided centre-back space in possession. This means he is more difficult to press, he has greater space and time to pick his head up and make decisions, and he is taken away from the high-tempo play in central midfield. In every way, this adapted midfield role either accentuates his strengths — his passing, his controlled distribution, his excellent left foot — and minimises his weaknesses — his lack of athleticism, the ease at which he is pressed, his reliance on his left foot.

Xhaka is being protected by Arteta’s tactical approach. And while that is good coaching that should be praised, it also highlights the limitations of the player. Xhaka could not play at the level he currently is without Arteta crafting a very specific role for him. His limitations, therefore, are simply too strenous. Xhaka is a good player, but he will never be an elite one. He should not be a part of Arsenal’s future.