“What can’t this guy do”, “One of the most intelligent and selfless footballers” – Arsenal fans delighted with ‘sensational’ performance from 29-year-old in 2-1 win over Aston Villa
Arsenal faithful have praised midfielder Granit Xhaka after his performance in the 2-1 win against Aston Villa on August 31.
The Gunners maintained their 100 percent win rate in the Premier League. They made it five wins from five games as they condemned Steven Gerrard's side to a fourth defeat.
Mikel Arteta's side showed great character once again after conceding a goal. Last week against Fulham, they came back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 at the Emirates.
Against Villa, Arsenal regained their lead after the visitors made it 1-1. It was a feisty affair with lots of tackles contested everywhere on the pitch.
It will be easy for the goalscorers to grab headlines and Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli, who scored the Gunners' two goals, will be talked about. However, the north London club's fans were quick to single out Xhaka for praise after his solid performance.
The Swiss international was without his usual midfield partners Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny due to injuries and was paired with Albert Sambi Lokonga. However, Xhaka went about his business in a no-nonsense manner, showcasing his box-to-box abilities throughout the 90 minutes.
He helped calm things down in midfield and allowed his team to set the tempo of the game at various junctures. This season, the Arsenal man has received a license from Arteta to venture forward and contribute in the final-third and that has made him even more effective.
Xhaka's attempt in the 30th minute led to the Gunners' opener on the night. The Swiss fired a low-drilled shot at Emiliano Martinez who couldn't grab it properly and it rebounded from his hands. Jesus was lurking in the box and applied the finishing touch to send the ball into the back of the net.
Xhaka continued his good work in the second-half, especially towards the end when Aston Villa were searching for a late equalizer after going 2-1 down.
His distribution was clever and he hardly made any wayward passes.
The Arsenal faithful were clearly impressed with him and showcased their love for him on Twitter.
Xhaka has to be one of the most intelligent and selfless footballers in the word from a tactical perspective.
Very good interior play from Xhaka there what can’t this guy do
Can we just take a moment to appreciate how good Granit Xhaka has been…
Xhaka is incredible btw what a display so far
I feel sorry for people that don’t realize how important Xhaka is to this team
Xhaka has been sensational so far
Xhaka is immense
Will Arsenal sign a midfielder before the transfer window ends?
Granit Xhaka is slowly becoming an all-round midfielder for Arteta and that's a big positive for the Spaniard.
However, with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny injured, a lot of responsibility lies on Xhaka's shoulders. Albert Sambi Lokonga is still developing and although he was quite good against Aston Villa, he will have a difficult time against better teams.
If Oleksandr Zinchenko was fit, he might have started in the middle of the park with the Swiss international. However, the Ukrainian is out with a knock too.
Arsenal will be better off investing in an experienced player if they wish to keep this form going for the better part of the campaign.
It is going to be a long season for Arteta and his squad as they compete in four competitions. They would hate to miss out on silverware due to a lack of squad depth.