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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says that he is excited to see Granit Xhaka enjoying his football at the Emirates Stadium once again.
THE LOWDOWN: AWESOME TURNAROUND
When the midfielder first arrived in north London in 2016, he came with a lot of promise as he was the club’s third-most expensive signing at the time. The Swiss ace did justify his fee in the following years under Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery, and although there were issues with his discipline on the pitch at the time, he made up for it with his excellent performances.
He became club captain under Emery in 2019 after the departure of Laurent Koscielny. However, trouble started when he was involved in an outburst upon being substituted during Arsenal’s game against Crystal Palace at the Emirates three years ago this week.
That action cost him the armband and was nearing an exit from the club at the time. His attempted departure from the club did not happen as Mike Arteta was able to convince him to stay.
Fast forward to this season, he has been one of the Gunners’ best players and is enjoying his time at the Emirates again.
THE LATEST: ARTETA’S REACTION
Arteta has expressed his delight at seeing the midfielder with a smile on his face again.
The Arsenal manager made this claim after Xhaka’s goal helped his side beat PSV 1-0 in the Europa League on Thursday. As a result, the Gunners booked their place in the knockout stages of the competition.
Arteta said of the 30-year-old afterwards: “He deserves that. He has faced adversity in difficult moments, he has put his arm up when he had something different to do, his work ethic, the way he is as a person, the way he treats everyone around the club, and the love for this football club and profession is unquestionable.
“He fully deserves that and I’m really happy to see him enjoying his career.”
It was Xhaka’s third goal of the season, already just one short of his best-ever tally in a campaign for the club, and Arteta believes there is more to come from the Switzerland international.
The 40-year-old added: “We believed he had the qualities to do that. Sometimes it’s just unlocking something in the players’ mind and be more open and be receptive to all the things.
He’s been extremely open and his work rate all the time to learn is fantastic, and now I think it’s paying off.”
THE VERDICT: EVERYONE’S MOOD
Arteta is speaking the minds of many Arsenal fans.
Xhaka’s talent has been immense in the Gunners’ rise to the top of the Premier League table, and everyone must be happy to see him play a key role in the team’s excellent start to the season.
