When Granit Xhaka stomped off in the direction of the Tottenham Hotspur supporters in the unseemly aftermath of Sunday’s North London derby, Mikel Arteta wasted little time in tearing after him.
With Arsenal now eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table, the last thing Arteta needed was to see one of his most important players lose his cool and find himself in hot water. Especially with Manchester United, Manchester City and Unai Emery’s Aston Villa looming on the horizon.
Trying to pick Arsenal’s Player of the Season is almost like trying to choose the finest performance in the original Godfather movie. But Xhaka, a man not only revitalised but transformed under Arteta, is certainly one of the leading candidates. If not the outstanding one. The Marlon Brando to Bukayo Saka’s Pacino and Gabriel Martinelli’s DeNiro.
Xhaka’s influence on this Arsenal team was summed up best, perhaps, not in the Premier League but during the recent FA Cup third round trip to Oxford United. The Gunners were misfiring before his 62nd minute introduction but were a team transformed in the aftermath; Xhaka turning the tide and sweeping any pesky banana skins from the Kassam Stadium turf.
Arsenal’s Declan Rice links are bad news for Albert Sambi Lokonga
“The quality that came on was so evident,” former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell told the Highbury Stand; highlighting the colossal difference between Xhaka and the man he replaced just past the hour in Oxfordshire.
“We saw Granit Xhaka get right stuck in, chasing people into the corner. We never saw (Albert Sambi) Lokonga do that. Lokonga wants to stake a claim (but) he looked way off it. He looked way off it, he didn’t look good enough. He is talented but he’s not taking his chances.”
That has been the story of Lokonga’s season. It’s a vicious circle, in some ways. Lokonga will argue that he lacks rhythm because Arteta simply doesn’t play him enough. But Lokonga doesn’t do enough when he does play to suggest that he can be relied upon to play anything other than a back-seat, cameo role.
Lokonga has only started twice in the league this season. One of those starts came during Arsenal’s only defeat of the campaign at Old Trafford. Coincidence?
He was hugely disappointing in defeat to Brighton and PSV in the EFL Cup and Europa League. Now, he’s looking out of his depth against a mid-table, third-tier Oxford team.
Rice could cost around £70 million
Reports from The Guardian and The Standard suggesting that Arsenal have identified West Ham United captain Declan Rice as their number one summer target, then, may have an ‘end of days’ feel about them as far as Lokonga is concerned. A
The £17 million signing from Anderlecht admitted in October that he was already frustrated with his relative lack of starts at Arsenal, and since then his opportunities have only dwindled further. He only really has himself to blame, of course. If Lokonga cannot exude any sort of a positive influence against Oxford, then what reason does Arteta have to throw him in against Man City or Man United? Especially at the expense of the outstanding Xhaka and Thomas Partey? Rice would only push him further than ever down the pecking order.
“It’s a personal decision (to stay and fight for my place),” Lokong told DH. “I wanted to give myself another year to stay at Arsenal and then see what happens.
“At the end of last season, I almost snapped. I called my agent to ask him if staying at Arsenal was a good idea. He comforted me in my choice, even though I know I need to start more often to develop.”
If the West Ham talisman, reportedly available for a cut-price £70 million, is Pachino at his Godfather peak, then Lokonga is Pachino of Jack and Jill ‘fame’. Out of place, awkward, and maybe wondering just what went wrong.
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