Arsenal have a few former players in the Bundesliga but one £20m talent is currently outscoring Granit Xhaka.
Granit Xhaka’s redemption arc at Arsenal was the stuff that Hollywood would buy into and gobble up.
It was a remarkable turnaround. Think Severus Snape in Harry Potter, even Darth Vader in Star Wars. This was a story capable of matching both of the most famous villains in movie history.
The date was 27th October 2019 and as the Swiss midfielder was substituted by Unai Emery, his days at the Emirates looked numbered.
Xhaka was the club captain at the time but as supporters inside the stadium jeered and booed him off the park, the armband was thrown to the floor in disgust. The now 31-year-old gesticulated at fans and was visibly angry. Surely there was no way back for this enigmatic character?
Lo and behold, he’s now adored by Arsenal fans. His redemption act under Mikel Arteta was a joy to see.
How Granit Xhaka proving himself after Arsenal
Arteta has revolutionised the way this Arsenal team think. Now mentally strong, it’s a far cry from the forlorn squads we saw in the latter days of Arsene Wenger’s reign and Emery’s torrid tenure in north London.
They are yet to topple Manchester City as the greatest club side in the land just yet, but oh how close they came in 2022/23.
Just five points separated the Gunners and the Citizens come last May,
And now just a point divides the two in 2023/24.
A large reason for the club’s success last term was Xhaka. Deployed as an advanced number 8,
The Switzerland star was freed from his defensive role which had seen him cause so much chaos throughout the years.
The £25m signing was known as a liability. During his time in N5 Xhaka picked up five red cards and 76 yellows. That doesn’t make for great reading at all.
Yet, in his final campaign as an Arsenal player before moving onto pastures new,
The club’s number 34 wasn’t sent off once. It was also the best goalscoring season of his career.
Nine times Xhaka scored in Arsenal red, crashing the ball home from long range
But also ghosting into the penalty area like Frank Lampard in his prime.
