‘Desire & determination’: Alan Shearer says Arsenal 29-year-old’s ‘improved’ under Arteta

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Alan Shearer has praised the ‘desire and determination’ showcased by Granit Xhaka during Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Brentford over the weekend, as he told BBC Sport.

The Premier League’s all-time leading goalscorer added that Xhaka has also improved under the stewardship of his currently thriving manager, Mikel Arteta.

When Arteta walked through the doors at the Emirates Stadium in 2019, the mood around the place was one of deflation, frustration and a lack of connection between fans and the players.

One of the individuals who was at the heart of it all was Xhaka because, only weeks before, Unai Emery had stripped him of the captain’s armband.

Xhaka’s career as an Arsenal player was finished, it was just a matter of waiting for the January transfer to open so he could head for the exit door.

But Arteta has helped manage to turn that ship around, as Shearer praised the Arsenal boss for transforming ‘the mood of the whole club’, as he mentioned Xhaka improving.

“Only four of the Arsenal team who started that defeat against Brentford began Sunday’s game too – Ben White, Kieran Tierney, Granit Xhaka and Gabriel Martinelli,” said Shearer.

“In just over a year, Arteta has not just built a different team, he has transformed the mood of the whole club. He deserves great credit for that, because he got a lot of criticism after the way they started last season, with three straight defeats.

“We’ve seen Arteta improve the likes of Xhaka, who showed great desire and determination against Brentford, but Jesus is Arsenal’s real game-changer for me.”

XHAKA IS NOW A KEY PLAYER FOR ARSENAL

Not many would have predicted it, but Xhaka is now a key player for Arsenal and a big reason why they are sitting top of the Premier League table heading into the international break.

With Martin Odegaard out injured, he also donned the captain’s armband once again against Brentford and led the team to a comfortable three points.

But, after the international break, they will be provided with their biggest test yet because it’s only the small matter of locking horns with Tottenham.

Antonio Conte’s side are unbeaten in the Premier League, sitting in third place, as Son Heung-min hit a stunning hat-trick from the bench during Tottenham’s 6-2 win over Leicester City.