Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has praised Granit Xhaka in Football London, suggesting that it is not normal to see a player show as much commitment as he does in training.
Xhaka scored his first goal of the season in Arsenal’s comprehensive 4-0 victory over Norwich City, as the Swiss international was rewarded for his hard work off the pitch.
Xhaka has really turned around opinions after being booed off earlier this season by Arsenal fans, and is now arguably their most important midfielder.
Arteta’s arrival seems to have helped Xhaka take his game to the next level.
And the Spanish boss feels that Xhaka deserves great praise for the work-rate he shows both on the pitch and in training, as his commitment is highly unusual.
“He’s a player that his commitment goes beyond anything normal. He leaves every drop of blood on that football pitch every day and he does the same in training,” Arteta said.
“For me he’s a great example to any other team-mate, the way he looks after himself and lives his profession.
“I’m really happy that we could convince him to stay, to give him another opportunity to learn from the mistake that he made and appreciate the player and person we have at the club.
“When someone has a difficult moment we are right behind them. We’re showing everybody we can give them another chance.”
Arsenal’s win last night was their third in a row, with Arteta’s side starting to click into gear again.
The Gunners started slowly after their return to action, but now are showing signs of real promise.
Arsenal climbed up to seventh place in the Premier League table with victory yesterday, although teams around them do have a game in hand now.
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