Granit Xhaka’s 7 years of ups and downs with Arsenal

The 2019-20 season seemed to be the end of Granit Xhaka’s career at Arsenal. In the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on October 27, 2019, the Swiss midfielder acted extremely ugly. Leaving the field in the 61st minute to make room for Bukayo Saka, he took off and threw the captain’s armband to the ground, and took actions to provoke angry home team fans. This was a match where Arsenal had an early two-goal lead, but they lost the advantage and ended the match with a draw of 2-2.

Right after this match, the wave Opposition to Xhaka flared up fiercely, leading to information that he would be sold during the winter transfer window of that year. The former Basel midfielder himself was also stripped of the captaincy by coach Unai Emery.

Granite Xhaka himself is also ready for leaving. In an interview with Players’ Tribune in April 2022, Xhaka shared:

“My luggage is ready. Everything at Arsenal is over.” There was a contract from a club that I just needed to sign. I talked to my wife (Leonita) and we decided to leave.”

“Even when I close my eyes, I still remember those faces full of anger and hate. It’s not an ordinary like or dislike thing. I’m not exaggerating this. The comments about me were strong. personal attack. I feel disrespected.”

Everyone was thinking about new destinations for Xhaka at that time, even 1-2 years later. In the 2020 winter transfer window, it seemed like Xhaka had moved to Hertha Berlin, but Arteta arrived at the right time and prevented this deal from happening. During the 2021 summer transfer window, there were rumors that Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma was very close to successfully recruiting Xhaka because the “Special One” was very “captivated” by his vision and strong fighting spirit. this player. However, Xhaka still stayed and signed a contract extension to continue working with the home team at Emirates Stadium. It was not until recent days that Xhaka actually picked up the jersey of his new club, the German club Bayer Leverkusen.

Different from the situation three years ago, Xhaka left in fans’ regret. 3 years is neither long nor short, but it is enough for people to change their perspective on a person.

Xhaka has proven his professional dedication to his fans. Gunner”. When you need Xhaka, it’s sometimes difficult to have Xhaka. The captain of the Swiss team is ready to play in many different positions in the midfield when the left back position is in crisis, he also plays very well. This season, when coach Arteta arranged wide activities ready to penetrate the penalty area, Xhaka did his job well with 9 goals and 7 assists in all competitions, greatly contributing to the runner-up achievement < a data-auto-link-id="642265ac658cddc06a5c8a2c" data-content-name="article-content-autolink" data-content-piece="article-content-autolink_642265ac658cddc06a5c8a2c" data-content-target="https://dantri .com.vn/tim-kiem/premier+league.htm" data-track-content="" href="https://dantri.com.vn/tim-kiem/premier+league.htm">Premier League< /a> of Arsenal brought the “Gunners” back to the prestigious Champions League arena after 6 years of waiting. 

From a hot-tempered guy who often receives unnecessary penalties from a player who is turned away by his home team’s fans to a mature man who is calm in the face of provocations on the field, the support of the entire team and warmly cheered by the fans in the final match at Emirates Stadium. Xhaka has truly come a long way. long and full of different emotions. 7 years at the Emirates is certainly an unforgettable time for the 30-year-old Swiss player.

For Arsenal fans, they may not be too sad because Arsenal will add new signings. The quality of the replacement contract is even “better” than Xhaka, but every farewell has its regrets. The Swiss midfielder’s tireless contributions to the “Gunners” for 7 years deserve to be recognized and honored.

Certainly so, even though Xhaka is not a very superior player. Especially at a team with a heroic history like Arsenal, the image of a passionate and dedicated warrior will forever be imprinted in the hearts of “Gunners” fans.

Pham Cong Thanh

“