Granit Xhaka is one of the oldest players in the current Arsenal team, and he keeps proving to be a leader of the group.
He was rightly made the club’s captain in 2019, but he fell out with the fans a few months into his tenure and lost the armband.
The issue nearly made him leave the club in 2020, but Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay.
That has been one of the best things the Spaniard has done as the club’s manager and it is benefiting him as well..
Xhaka now thrives in a new role. Although he no longer wears the armband, the Swiss star keeps proving he is one of the leaders in the group.
The Sun reports about an act he did in the game between Arsenal and Leeds yesterday.
In a clip, they show the midfielder calming down Gabriel Magalhaes after the Brazilian seemed to have lost his head.
It was over an incident that saw him initially get sent off and Leeds awarded a penalty.
As soon as Xhaka spoke to him, he calmed down and went about his business.
Just Arsenal Opinion
Leaders often do not wear the armband and Xhaka is one such player which makes him a blessing for this Arsenal team.
If he had left in 2020, he probably would have seen his career go downhill, while we suffer to replace him.
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He also stepped in when Gabriel was about to lose it with Henderson. As was pointed out in a previous thread, Gabriel is at risk of taking over from pre 2022-23 Xhaka by spoiling a lot of good work with episodes of madness.
Xhaka has been through it and come out the other side so Gabriel can have no better mentor.
SPOT ON! Gabriel is NOW the teams hothead!
@jon fox
Quick, get rid of him. Send him to Marseille…IJS 😂
@NY
Did Gabriel brag about how the Leeds players were crap hence why they don’t get as much as him weekly? And after that did the manager request an apology that Gabriel rejected to offer?
How many times have you ever Gabriel having scuffles with his teammates or managers?
Someone obviously don’t understand sarcasm
@Goonster
Why do you care about what he said to Leeds players? You a Leeds supporter? Matteo stood by his actions of throttling Maupay for going in hard on our keeper. And I think he was right to do so. Period. And he never had any so called”scuffles” with other managers or teammates, so save it…
@NY
Just because I am not a Leed supporter does not mean I have to turn off my sense of morality / common sense. If Gabriel had bragged to the Leeds player about how much more money he makes compared to them and refused to apologise I would want him out of Arsenal FC. A bit of class does not cost a thing. Isn’t it?
And we obviously come from different upbringings. You seem like a proper tribalistic individual that loses their sense of logic, critical thinking, morality, common sense, and objectivity when it comes to your tribe.
You just defend your tribe no matter what.
Isn’t it?
🤦♂️👍
@NY
Did you know about Guendouzi’s time on loan in Germany?
“Hotheaded”, does not only mean someone with the childish and immature temperament of Guenndouzi both on and off the field. It also means a player who lacks control in the heat of the moment , as happens all the time in matches.
Mature players can be and often are, as hard as nails, but still have the sense not to behave as GABRIEL stupidly did as the reason he was given the the red card, later downgraded to yellow.
A hothead lacks self control in the heat of the moment and football is full of them, always has been and probably always will.
At a time when XHAKA, OF ALL PEOPLE, IS NOW SHOWING WELCOME AND LONG OVERDUE MATURITY AND BEHAVING AS A TRUE CAPTAIN DOES, it is highly disappointing to see another player and a top class one too, step into Xhakas old shoes.
But hotheads are by definition, unreliable and Gabriel, despite being a player I MUCH RATE IN ABILITY AND ONE WHO IS ALSO UNFAIRLY CRITICISED FOR HIS ALL ROUND ABILITY NOT BEING GOOD ENOUGH, is a danger simply because of his rotten and less then mature temperament. And it would be lying not to mention it. It may yet prove his and our downfall, though I SINCERELY HOPE NOT.
PASSION IS WONDERFUL TO BEHOLD, but only when controlled!!
My word
As soon as Xhaka spoke to him, he calm down and went about his business.
Xhaka is the unofficial captain of the team, the level of respect shown to him by team members is unprecedented.
agreed. and the fact that he’s able to now mentor others on situations like these makes Xhaka’s redemption arc all the better.
More than that particular action, what needs to be valued even more is the fact that he kept talking to the referee and kept requesting that he looked at the video evidence and decide if Gabriel had indeed made a mistake. To his credit, the ref actually had a look and realized that Xhaka and the gunners were actually right
My word
ClassyGunner saw only forty minutes of the entire game.
This is commendable, first am hearing this, these are the things that goes unnoticed about Xhaka.
Fans are generally quick to notice negatives from him, but happy how he continues to move from strength to strength as he carry on as a great team player
Hi, I am an Arsenal fan from Swaziland (Eswatini) I love the way the boys are performing these days. Bravo to our coach Arteta, he’s doing a very good job.
The boys are performing well…..keep up the good work!!!!
Someone obviously don’t understand sarcasm
Xhaka ( King Shaka) you are our main man.