Paul Merson has admitted in his column for the Daily Star that ‘it shocks you’ Granit Xhaka seemingly always starts for Arsenal, despite the midfielder lacking any standout qualities.
Xhaka joined the Gunners from Borussia Monchengladbach for £35m in 2016, with Arsene Wenger hailing the arrival of an ‘exciting young player’. The Swiss has since made a total of 242 appearances for the Emirates Stadium natives in all competitions and has started 227.
- Everton’s last XI before Moshiri takeover, only one survivor
- England at the World Cup: Three Lions’ group stage record ahead of Qatar
Only on 11 occasions has Wenger, Unai Emery or current manager Mikel Arteta left the 29-year-old on the bench, too. Xhaka’s longest run of consecutive Premier League games out of the starting line-up, outside of injuries or suspension, totalled two in November 2020.
After defeats to Manchester City and Leicester – against whom Xhaka featured at centre-half – Arteta axed the Swiss against Manchester United and Aston Villa. He has otherwise only watched three single matches from the bench, without then featuring as a substitute.
Paul Merson admits ‘it shocks you’ Granit Xhaka always starts for Arsenal
Yet Merson admits Xhaka near-on always featuring if available can take the former Arsenal star by surprise. He does not feel the 100-cap Swiss star gives Arteta anything particularly special, either in an attacking sense with goals or assists, as a playmaker or defensively.
“Every manager that comes in at Arsenal plays Granit Xhaka,” he wrote. “He plays virtually every game. Has he ever been left out for any length of time? That tells you a lot.
“He must have something about him because he doesn’t make goals, he doesn’t score goals, he’s not going to hit you with a 60-yard pass. I don’t mean to be horrible, but he still plays every week. So, every manager who has managed him must see something there.
“He’s captained the club and he must have a big voice in the dressing room. But obviously he lost that after having his row with the fans. I wouldn’t say he is underrated. He plays in midfield and he’s not a defensive midfielder really because Thomas Partey is playing there.
“He doesn’t have an amazing passing range either. Sometimes it shocks you he plays every week. But he gives 100 per cent all the time. I never look at Arsenal’s teamsheet and think: ‘Oh my god, Xhaka’s playing’. So, I don’t have a problem with him playing every week.”
Xhaka produced his most assists in a single season in 2017/18 with seven after starting 37 of his 38 Premier League outings. He also hit a personal-best four goals in 2018/19 over 29 games. He has scored at least once in every other season in north London, bar the current.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
