Arsenal: 5 reasons Granit Xhaka is still the future

Arsenal, Granit Xhaka (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Arsenal, Granit Xhaka (Photo by Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Arsenal, Granit Xhaka
(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) /

4. Stability and Control

Always one of my favorite things about his performance on the pitch. Granit Xhaka is unshakeable on the ball. When he has possession, he will not lose it. He won’t have it taken off of him, he won’t try to be a hero. Occasionally he will misplace a pass, just like every other footballer on the face of the planet.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

But overall, you can’t find someone safer on the ball. He takes possession seriously and is one of the least dispossessed players in all of the world, let alone the Premier League. And while that isn’t high-praise work, there is so much value in a guy that can control possession, establish control and introduce a little stability into a match, particularly when it starts getting chaotic.

And don’t act like he can’t do anything except hold onto the ball. His passing is excellent, so even when he’s lulling you into a sense of security, he can drop the ball on a dime forty yards upfield, easy as you like.

Find me another midfielder that can do that. Done looking? Good. Now maybe you appreciate Granit Xhaka more, though I doubt it. In time, dear friends, in time.

On to No. 3.