Arsenal Cannot Depend On Reckless Liability Granit Xhaka
Arsenal have endured a dismal start to the season. The Gunners have lost all three of their opening Premier League fixtures and sit bottom of the table!
In all of those defeats, Mikel Arteta’s men have looked pretty weak and pathetic. They haven’t even scored in the league this term but have conceded nine.
All of Arsenal’s issues could probably be summed up in Granit Xhaka’s performance against Manchester City earlier today, a game in which the North London side slummed to a 5-0 defeat (BBC Match Report).
The twenty-eight year old was playing alongside three young midfielders who were either twenty-two or younger. The Swiss international should’ve been a calming influence, yet he was the one who lost his head after his conceded two early goals.
The midfielder launched into a challenge with João Cancelo, in a non dangerous position, with both his feet off the ground and showing studs. It was a reckless tackle and I don’t think Xhaka was in control. The referee clearly agreed and showed Granit a straight red card on the thirty-fifth minute.
That was the international’s fourth red card in the Premier League, he has also collected 42 yellows in 163 league appearances. That is a crazy amount of cautions and means he’s serving various suspensions per campaign.
Martin Keown is an Arsenal legend known for his tough tackling and his hard-man persona but he helped give the club a competitive edge and some passion. The TV pundit has come out and slaughtered Granit:
‘It’s crazy! It’s crazy why he goes off his feet at that point.
‘You just expect so much better from your most experienced player.
‘He’s been given one or two opportunities when people thought his career was over at Arsenal.
‘He’s done it so many times.’
Via The Metro
Xhaka hasn’t grown as a player since his arrival in 2016. He still makes far too many fouls, he becomes too emotional and his team can’t rely on him when the chips are down!
AS Roma were linked with the player all summer and the Gunners should’ve paid for a first class ticket to get the player across to Italy. Instead of that, Arsenal bafflingly signed Granit to a new deal keeping him at the Emirates until at least 2024 (Source – Eurosport).
Arsenal supporters have been very vocal in their disappointment of Xhaka in the past, this incident will just see those voices get louder.
Even when he’s available to play the midfielder simply doesn’t offer enough. The Swiss man doesn’t provide enough assists or goals, if he is a holding midfielder then he doesn’t make enough successful tackles either.
Arsenal are in free fall at the moment. They don’t have an identity, they don’t have a hunger to prove themselves and they are making a lot of strange decisions that make little to no sense.
Granit Xhaka is simply the biggest example of this!
Posted on August 28th, 2021 by scott
Filed under: Article
Dont start blaming xhaka.The whole team is weak mentally and that man should be playing with experienced players not covering for kids.City made mistkes aswell and nobody pounced on them.Weak and in every department.Defenders letting crosses come in and jot defending one!I suppose thats Xhakas fault as well.This js why Arsenal are shit with fans fighting over shitbloggers.