Ex Gunner soon to be a champion!
Well my fellow Gooners it looks as though our title race will go down to the wire, but one of our ex-players has a more comfortable title race in his hands!
Granit Xhaka and his new club Bayer Leverkusen are on the brink of greatness in the German league as they are only one more win away from winning the Bundesliga title – after 11 years of pure dominance by Bayern Munich.
With that said Gooners, my question to you is would you take Xhaka back after he will be crowned a potential German Bundesliga winner after only just one season away from the Emirates?
Now I’m sure this article will split fans but for me I know for one I would not take Xhaka back.
Despite his great form for us in his last few seasons at Arsenal it could be argued that he was past his best and had he stayed he may not have been able to replicate the same for us this season.
Although it would have been nice to see the Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Xhaka partnership in midfield at times during our season I think it’s safe to say that, although it was disappointing and a bit of a shock that Xhaka left so soon after Arsenal finally challenged for the title, and needing only a few more additions to the squad to mount yet another one this season.
For me it wasn’t a surprise that he decided to up and leave only because it showed some of his true colours and that for me is a sense of disloyalty to the fanbase and to Mikel Arteta.
And ill tell you why I say it is disloyalty… because after his outburst during that Crystal Palace game many years ago, many of the Arsenal and football fans in general failed to see a way back for Xhaka at Arsenal.
Many Arsenal fans even thought it would have been his last game in an Arsenal shirt however in comes the hero of the hour, Arteta, who magically whispered words to Xhaka, and lo and behold he would remain at the club for at least another few years.
By remaining at the club Xhaka went from zero to hero and many fans stuck by him and that saw him quickly become yet again a fan favourite and was quite popular with the Arsenal fans even bagging himself his own chant from the stands.
For the last four years Arteta managed to bring out somewhat of the best in Xhaka and it saw him bag some important goals for us as well as improving his disciplinary record, which lets put it this way was abysmal prior to Arteta coming in, although he had his moments it was a sure improvement.
Although he wasn’t a prolific goal scorer he did score 12 goals in three seasons under Arteta (7 in his final season) and 11 goals in his four years prior to that. But since joining Leverkusen he has just one goal to his name in eight months and in the games I have seen, although he does shoot at goal, it seems that is one part of his game that he has reined in compared to what he used to do at Arsenal.
Let’s also not forget Xhaka is 31 years old and is surely at the end of his career whereas the likes of Rice and Odegaard are both 25 years old and are just getting into the peak of their careers and will be with us for a long time I hope.
So although we had some ups and downs with Xhaka and although it was sad to see him go, thinking about it now ultimately it was the right decision by Arsenal, and I for sure would not have him back even if he came begging (which would never happen I’m sure).
But I wish him well on his quest for his first trophy at his new club which seems not so far away.
Let’s put it this way, anything or anyone who can stop Harry Kane from lifting a trophy is a legend in my eyes 😜
Gooners would you take Xhaka back if that was ever to be an option?
Shenel Osman
@sh3n3l_
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With Granit Xhaka in the squad, Arsenal would have at least 4 to 6 points more. More points than last year at the same time (31 rounds).
I wish he never left.
Chaka would have improved even more, IMO.
He can’t come back, that negates the “I would not want him back”.
He’s a mainstay in Bayer Leverkusen team, one of the senior experienced players.
He will deserve his medal, irrespective of how many goals & assists he produced.
GX has always given his best and kept himself fit during all those years with us. Wish him well for the Bundesliga title with BL. Wish him and his family well after the unacceptable abuse by a set of our fan base whom I wish to dissociate with. He had some shortcomings, but I dismiss the disloyalty tag. Once a Gunner Always a Gunner.
The only reason I won’t want him back is due to diminishing returns in performance. I can’t bet he can go another season in a physical Epl without injury and also top performance age isn’t on his side anymore. As per quality he’s still got loads of it to be a first 11 at Arsenal.
Don’t play the disloyalty card here man. Xhaka was loyal. You’re just shock he’s about to win a title. The thing is you all believe he’s not good enough. The English media made you believe that. The English national team needs ‘a Xhaka’ right now. This is a player the fans almost pushed out of the club. We were lost in midfield when Havertz was playing 8 early in the season. Xhaka could have done better and put more points on the table. I don’t want him back too but don’t paint him bad. Arsenal fans seems to be the best judge of everything in football world.
How really juvenile to suggest disloyalty and to also play the outburst card. Granit was loyal and left Arsenal on terms that satisfied all parties. I think he had a couple of seasons left in him and might have made a significant difference to our left side, which has missed his connection with Martinelli.
Most shameful article I’ve read in some time.
Have to agree with those calling out the author for claiming Xhaka was disloyal.
He was one of the team’s leaders and a dedicated professional whatever one might have felt about his abilities as a footballer.
It’s also unclear why the author is trying to generate a debate about a hypothetical situation.
It would have been sufficient to simply congratulate him and his team if they go on to win the Bundesliga as expected.
Disagree with the writer here, I wish he never left and stayed with us. He was a leader with strong ethics and was willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good. His level of professionalism was bar none, never getting into trouble off the pitch and was the first to run and stick up for our other players when they got in a flare up- he behaved like an older brother does when a younger sibling is being bullied. Although he may not have been the most talented player in our squad, he was Arsenal through and through. The fact he chose to leave when he did was a decision I completely respect and thank him for his service to our club.
Why was Xhaka in any way disloyal? Considering the disgusting abuse directed at him and his family, I was mightily impressed that he was willing to give Arsenal another chance.
Arteta certainly brought out the best in him and how exciting for him to be on the brink of a league title.
As for coming back, I think we should be looking forward not backwards. We are there and thereabouts with our current squad
An interesting, though definitely slamted with personal opinion piece by Shenel.
I wish to make clear that I also would not want Xhaka back either, partly because he is now 31 and that, in midfield, is knocking on for a combative midfielder .
And partly also because he always lacked speed and mobility, despite his much increased effectiveness in his last two of seven seasons , the first five of which I prefer to forget, TBH!
Where I DO THINK SHENEL IS BEING UNFAIR IS IN SAYING HE LACKED LOYALTY.
. To my mind, quite the reverse was TRUE and he was spectacularly loyal throughout and he owes us nothing and rightly left us with all our good wishes.
Even mine,though for his first five years I COULD NOT WAIT TO SEE THE BACK OF HIM, AS HE WAS A LIABILITY
And that needs to be said for full context and total truth.
My only regret is that we should have won the big jug in his last year at the club, but he was awesomely good servant that has served us well.
Happy to see him continuing where he left off, in another league
For Xhaka find Havertz regarding the abuse he received from the so called Arsenal fans!!
He was ULTRA loyal, despite the morons we have within our fanbase.
We move on and rightly s2, but I congratulate him on what he’s achieved this season.
Welcome back as a visitor any time Xhaka and thank you for all the memories – good and bad!!
G.Xhaka has lifted the trophy…..It’s good to see one of our very own making an impressive performance against harry kane in his first season at the club…..An Arsenal product at work.
I hope M.Arteta and Arsenal is next on the list of winners.
I want xhaka to back because of his good performance!!!