Arsenal will play host to Tottenham tomorrow afternoon, and Mikel Arteta appears to be confirming Granit Xhaka‘s involvement from kick-off.
The Gunners have been without the Swiss midfielder for the last three matches after he picked up a red for a two-footed challenge against Manchester City, and the team has returned to winning ways in his absence.
With Xhaka this season we suffered three straight league defeats, whilst since he has been out we have beaten Norwich and Burnley in the Premier League, as well as beating Wimbledon in the EFL Cup in midweek.
Some may have linked the two, with our side having kept three clean sheets from three of late, and with Xhaka having become known for those costly mistakes at the back, and anyone hoping he would stay out the side may well be disappointed.
The manager claimed that our former club captain was ‘flying’ in training, before praising his attitude also.
“He came back and he was flying because he really looks after himself,” Arteta said in his pre-match press conference(via Football.London).
“He’s always training. As he always is he was giving the maximum and the best possible attitude to compete and win matches.”
Could Arteta be playing games and actually overlook Xhaka from his starting line-up? Would any of you be disappointed if he wasn’t selected to start today?
Patrick
If he plays and is pumped for the game he will be sent off so I’m hoping he doesn’t play. There is passion and there is stupidity which he has both in abundance!
If Xhaka plays and Arsenal lose the proverbial will hit the fan. Only injury to Partey would justify Xhaka’s return. So why would Arteta take that risk?
Come on You gunners
Arteta will rise or fall on his selections.
The question is “does Granit Xhaka learn from his mistakes or over exuberance?”
I won’t be particularly disappointed or excited by Granit’s selection. There is a chance if selected that he can get sent off, but there is also a chance that he can get an amazing game in. I feel that support for the team should also extend to all the players and not just to the manager.😉😉
Spurs will be praying so hard for Arteta to pick xhaka.
We are one man down by default if xhaka is on the pitch.
This is the wrong time to have him around.
He is a disaster waiting to happen.
now I ‘ve heard everything…just imagine anyone ever using the phrase “he was flying” to describe our slothful DM
i wonder where this animosity against Xhaka comes from, is it perhaps based on unrealistic expectations. How does he excel for Swiss but fail for Arsenal. is it combinations, is it tactics, is it part of his nature that he gets emotionally too involved when playing. Is he really the worst player when in the field. 3 other players received marching orders last season, Gabriel, Pepe, Leno (a stupid mistake), prior to that Auba, Nketiah, Torreira but still the heat always turns on Xhaka