Granit Xhaka was inspired by Mikel Arteta to start earning a coaching badge while at Arsenal. They have been valuable this season, but only the midfielders have yet to finish their playing days.
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris said of his captain: “He’s like a second coach on the pitch.” The 33-year-old was the driving force behind the Black Cats’ incredible start to the season, which looked certain to be relegated in pre-season.
Now, he’s not only having a decisive impact on the Black Cats’ stellar season, but he’s also being tipped as one of the summer signings.
In a strange twist of fate, Xhaka will face his former club Arsenal this weekend exactly as the Gunners had envisioned him to be: defensively reliable, composed and influential deep in midfield. With the exception of Arsenal, it has never been this simple.
Saturday, November 8th 5pm
5:30pm kickoff
The Swiss midfielder had come under increased scrutiny after being used as a scapegoat by supporters during a period of instability during his tenure at Arsenal.
Five consecutive red cards and a high-profile feud with the fan base led to him being stripped of the club captaincy, but to no avail.
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A look back at the ups and downs of Granit Xhaka’s Arsenal career
Xhaka ultimately found a happy ending at Arsenal, largely due to his attacking performances in his final season, scoring nine goals and collecting seven assists as the Gunners nearly won the title.
But at Sunderland, he has developed into a calming base of Le Bris’ midfield, now in a different form of red and white.
In order to survive in the Premier League, newly promoted teams must first improve their defence. Xhaka provides that security from midfield through his reading of the game.
No other midfielder has a higher interception rate than Xhaka. Xhaka is above some fairly well-known players playing for more established first teams.
The influence of two years spent under world-class metronome Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen came in handy. “He gave me a lot of advice,” he told Sky Sports this week.
But Xhaka is more than just a defensive lynchpin, with his experience at the other end of the pitch as well. He has one goal and three assists this season, and some of those moments are priceless.
Earlier this week, he scored to salvage a point against Everton, but he also added five points to the Black Cats’ tally with late goals against Brentford, Aston Villa and the winners against Nottingham Forest.
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Granit Xhaka scores his first goal for Sunderland, leveling the score against Everton in the Premier League.
Teams that successfully achieve promotion will also need to adapt to the pace of the division. Xhaka’s experience at the highest level on the international stage with Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen and the Swiss national team will also help in this regard.
He is the clear leader in Premier League mileage this season, but the way he plays has affected one team-mate in particular. His midfield partner Noah Sadiki is only 20 years old and ranks third on that list, benefiting from the leadership and example next to him.
Taking others on is part of Xhaka’s game this season. As Regis Le Bris said, Xhaka “drives standards”.
The midfielder’s personality was on display after Monday’s draw with Everton, and his standards have dropped. Xhaka is well aware of the level required at this level and also aware that the standards of Sunderland last week were not there.
“Yesterday’s training was not the best training,” Xhaka told Sky Sports. “We started as if we finished training yesterday.
“We talked about the fact that at this level we need to show our standards every day.
“That’s why I think we weren’t good enough in the first 25 minutes, but after that we got better in the game. I believe the way we train will translate into play.”
Xhaka has proven not only perfect for Sunderland, but also for the current state of the Premier League. England’s top flight is moving towards a more direct, set-piece-based division, and Xhaka has played his part in that.
Not only has he ranked high in the Premier League for long passes this season, he is also Sunderland’s main set-piece taker.
And Sunderland have had the highest percentage of xG from set-pieces this season, with 48% of their chance quality coming from that area. This is even better than Arsenal’s reliance on set pieces, with the Gunners only hitting 43 per cent.
There’s even strong evidence that Xhaka would still have a job in this Arsenal midfield if he was still part of Arteta’s set-piece team. Yet Arsenal spent £105m to replace Declan Rice in the midfield position.
But for Sunderland, he is more than just a bargain, he is an irreplaceable asset.
Watch live Night Football between Sunderland and Arsenal on Sky Sports this Saturday from 5pm. Kickoff 5:30pm
