Paul Merson has suggested in The Daily Star that Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka could lead Switzerland to success at the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.
The former Arsenal star has been impressed by how well Xhaka has done for Mikel Arteta’s side so far this season.
The Sky Sports pundit believes that Switzerland are the dark horses for the competition.
And he thinks that the £100,000-a-week (Spotrac) Xhaka could lead Switzerland to an amazing World Cup success in Qatar.
Paul Merson on Arsenal star Granit Xhaka and Switzerland
Merson wrote: “My dark horses this year are Switzerland. They rarely turn up at tournaments but I just have a little sneaky feeling about them.
“They are one of the teams that you watch and say to yourself ‘I didn’t know he was Swiss’. They always do well in qualifying and always seem to make these major tournaments but it never quite ticks for them.
“They matched both France and Spain at Euro 2020 and took them both to penalties – beating the French.
“Granit Xhaka is playing as well as anybody this season in the Premier League with Arsenal and you can’t underestimate what that will do for their confidence. Switzerland are just one of those teams that have the capability to upset a few sides along the way.
“They are very hardworking and it will be a team that wins this World Cup – not a side made up of individuals. Nobody would have predicted Croatia to make the final in Russia but when you break it down, they’re a proper team. The same applies to Switzerland.”
Unlikely
In our view, Granit Xhaka is not going to win the World Cup with Switzerland in Qatar.
No way.
We just cannot see it.
Yes, Switzerland are a solid team with some brilliant players.
And yes, Xhaka has been in great form for Arsenal and is playing his best football at the moment.
However, there are far better teams than Switzerland in Qatar.
Brazil, Argentina, France and England all have superior squads.
Now, of course, anything is possible in football, especially in knockout competitions, but it is hard to see Switzerland go all the way in Qatar.
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