Ian Wright thinks Arsenal are ‘missing’ Granit Xhaka after Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal suffered a 1-0 defeat to Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United on Saturday at St James’ Park.
Whilst the call to allow Newcastle’s goal still rumbles on and angers those in Arsenal colours, it needs to be remembered that the team as a whole didn’t perform well.
A number of players were missing for Arsenal over the weekend, including captain Martin Odegaard and Thomas Partey, with Ian Wright describing the latter’s injury as a ‘massive blow’, as he told Premier League Productions (06/11/23 at 2:25 pm).
But it was Granit Xhaka’s name that Ian Wright brought up following his £22 million transfer to Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen (Football London) in the summer.
It’s not Harry Kane’s Bayern Munich who are sitting top of the Bundesliga table, but Bayer Leverkusen who have won an incredible 9 out of their 10 matches, as well as being unbeaten in the Europa League.
Granit Xhaka has been at the heart of it all, but it seems as though Ian Wright would prefer him to still be in north London and playing for Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal ‘missing’ Granit Xhaka
“I think Thomas Partey’s injury has been a massive blow to us,” said Wright.
“Zinchenko’s form and dropping off. Missing Xhaka, the way Xhaka was and how he helped him. I think we are missing that dynamic in the game.”
Granit Xhaka’s career
For many, many years. Xhaka was a marmite-like figure at Arsenal. He was a no-nonsense player. Gave his all. But many thought he played without a brain.
The player himself thought he was being committed, but others were seeing it as reckless.
Either way, as soon as Arteta walked through the doors, during a very dark time for Xhaka, he transformed a player who was probably one of Arsenal’s best players during the last two years of his time at the club.
And now that form has translated itself to Bayer Leverkusen, who are probably the best team in Europe right now given their form and the style of football they are playing under Alonso.
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