Fan Zoff, two FA Cup titles, strangling scandal: Granit Xhaka’s wild Arsenal time

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In the summer of 2016, Granit Xhaka closed the Gladbach chapter in the Bundesliga and started a new chapter in London. Arsenal buy the Swiss midfielder for 45 million euros.

The Premier League adventure starts for Xhaka on August 14, 2016 with a defeat. Liverpool beat London 4-3. Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger replaced Xhaka after 67 minutes when the score was 2 – 4. He receives a warning after a foul in the final phase.

Xhaka scored four times in his first season for Arsenal. He scored his debut goal on September 17, 2016 in a 4-1 away win against Hull City with Eldin Jakupovic between the posts. Xhaka unpacks the granite hammer and shoots the final score from distance in the 93rd minute, which is worth it.

Xhaka was sent off twice in a row in 2016/17, the first time on October 15 in a 3-2 home win against Swansea City. In the 70th minute he knocked Modou Barrow down from behind. After Xhaka was sent off against Burnley on January 22 (Arsenal won 2-1 at home) criticism came from the boss. Wenger: “Granite must be under control.”

Arsenal won the FA Cup at Wembley in 2017 thanks to a 2-1 win over Chelsea. Right in the middle on May 27: Granit Xhaka, who continues to play and convinces completely. “Xhaka was all alone in central midfield,” praises expert Jamie Carragher.

Arsenal finished the 2017/18 Premier League season in sixth place. The 13-time English champion was last lower in the rankings in 1995. Xhaka is also criticized. After the 2-1 defeat at Brighton, the “Mirror” writes: “Blast him out of a cannon. Or fire the cannon and watch him chase the missile, tackle it and get a warning.” His record on March 4: an assist, a yellow card and 21 touches.

On May 29, 2019, Xhaka and Arsenal will go in search of the Europa League crown. But Chelsea interfered with Baku and won 4-1 against Unai Emery’s team (in office since the summer of 2018).

Arsenal start the 2019/20 season with a new captain. Xhaka leads the Gunners to Newcastle on August 11 (1-0 win).

Against Aston Villa (3-2 home win) on September 22, 2019, Xhaka was booed by Arsenal’s disgruntled fans when he was substituted. They do the same on October 27 at home against Crystal Palace (2-2). Because the Swiss tear the thread of patience. He messes with the fans, motions for them to shout even louder, and rips his jersey off his body. “That took me, if I’m honest,” he admits in the fall of 2021 in the Gladbach fan podcast “MitGeredet”. Despite Xhaka’s apology, Coach Emery takes his captain’s armband from him. The Spaniard suspended the Swiss and did not let him play again in the Europa League until November 28. With Xhaka in the starting eleven, Arsenal lost 2–1 to Frankfurt at the Emirates Stadium. A day later, Emery lost his job.

Xhaka wants to leave Arsenal after the fan troubles. José Noguera, his adviser, told Blick at the end of 2019: “Look, I will say it very openly and honestly: we agree with Hertha BSC and would like to go to Berlin.” However, there is no change.

Just before Christmas 2019, the Londoners hired Mikel Arteta as their new trainer. The Spaniard is rebuilding Xhaka and relies completely on him. “I immediately felt very good when Mikel came to us. I’m smiling again, I’m very happy to be back on the field,” said Xhaka, who played the full 90 minutes in almost every game until the end of the season. Arsenal finished the season bottom, but won the championship at Wembley Chelsea FA Cup (2-1).

On December 13, 2020, Xhaka loses his nerve. He grabs Burnley’s Ashley Westwood at home (0-1 defeat) and flies off the field with a red card after intervention by the VAR. It is his first dismissal in an Arsenal shirt since January 22, 2017. The opponent then? Burnley. After the strangling scandal, everyone beats him – again. According to an English study, 1,374 nasty insults followed via Twitter. His family is not spared either. “There must be limits to criticism. There should be no references to a player’s family, personal attacks and certainly no mention of a player’s children. Criticizes the player and his game, but it has to stay in that area,” Xhaka told The Guardian.

In the summer of 2021, AS Roma flirts with a Xhaka transfer. A deal does not happen. Instead, Arsenal extended his contract until 2024.

Going into the 2021/22 season, Xhaka wears the captain’s armband against Brentford and Chelsea. Both games are lost (0:2 each). Like the third game. In the 0-5 debacle on August 28 in Manchester, his working day ended after 35 minutes after a tough challenge against City defender Joao Cancelo. Red card number four in Arsenal dress. The fifth and final red will follow on January 13, 2022 in the semi-final first leg of the League Cup in Liverpool (0-0) when he hits Diogo Jota as the last man on the upper body.

On October 30, 2022, Xhaka will make his 200th Premier League appearance for Arsenal. The Londoners won 5-0 at home against Nottingham Forest. The 200 Gunners club also includes Tony Adams (255), Thierry Henry (258), Patrick Vieira (279) and Dennis Bergkamp (315).

In the 2022/23 season, Xhaka really blossoms into a more attacking role and is more productive than ever. He scores seven goals in the league and prepares seven more. He scored twice in the Europa League. Arsenal have long been in first place and are dreaming of their first league title since 2004, but eventually they have to give way to Manchester City.

In his 297th and final appearance for Arsenal, Xhaka put together a brace. On May 28, he scored in the eleventh and fourteenth minutes of the last Premier League round against Wolverhampton (5-0 win). The fans celebrate him at the Emirates Stadium. Xhaka enjoys it. He and his teammates finish the season behind the “Skyblues” in second place. (yup)

Source : Blick