It’s safe to say, Granit Xhaka didn’t have the best of games against Tottenham on Sunday.
The no-nonsense midfielder, who committed seven fouls in 90 minutes, gave away a penalty in the first half with a silly challenge on Heung-Min Son, which allowed Harry Kane to double Spurs’ lead in the first half.
Goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rescued a point for Unai Emery’s side at the Emirates, but it was Xhaka’s performance on the whole that came ion for plenty of criticism from these Arsenal fans.
Twitter: @Arsenal @LacazetteAlex @MatteoGuendouzi @UnaiEmery_ Granit Xhaka get in the bin (@CodybBristow)
Twitter: @Arsenal @LacazetteAlex @MatteoGuendouzi @UnaiEmery_ Never want to see Xhaka in the starting 11 again hth (@matthew_kaye1)
Twitter: @Arsenal @LacazetteAlex @MatteoGuendouzi @UnaiEmery_ Why is Xhaka still at this club? He is not good enough (@AK_47UK)
And now, former Gunners captain Martin Keown, talking to the Daily Mail, cited by The Boot Room, joined in with the criticism of Xhaka.
Xhaka is so bad at tackling that Arsene Wenger once admitted he told him not to bother. Since signing for Arsenal in 2016, Xhaka has given away five penalties – more than any other player in the Premier League in that period.
What we witnessed against Tottenham was classic Xhaka. His constant fouling interrupted Arsenal’s flow. The hosts lost momentum because he kept breaking up play. This is what Xhaka does.
He does more damage than good when it comes to tackling. Xhaka may be on borrowed time in this team.
But does Xhaka have a Gunners future?
Read Arsenal verdict
If you’re going to perform as bad as Xhaka did in a North London derby, be prepared for all the criticism you are going to get. From multiple fans to former players, the Swiss star has had the lot.
However, Xhaka has shown in the past he can perform on a consistent basis for the Gunners, and he’ll now need to put together a string of impressive performances to get the fans and Keown back on side.
He’ll more than likely be absent from the Arsenal side in their next competitive fixture as a result of his Tottenham display, but with the 26-year-old under contract until 2023, it looks like he’ll be sticking around in North London for some time.
Emery has handed Xhaka the armband against both Spurs and Liverpool in recent weeks, and with four years still left on his deal and the Spaniard clearly a big fan, it would take a tempting bid for the Gunners to part ways with the player, even though many would accept the first offer that comes in for him.
