Granit Xhaka has become Arsenal’s most divisive player – as shown by performances against Wolves and Liverpool

There was a moment in Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool which seemed to epitomise the voguish new Granit Xhaka. After Mohamed Salah had swept in behind the Arsenal defence, Xhaka sprinted the length of the pitch and dispossessed his opponent in the box with an inch-perfect slide tackle.

Given that this is a man who has picked up 28 yellow cards and two reds in all competitions across two and a half seasons in north London – who could forget his five consecutive cautions in the 2016-17 season, including against non-league Sutton United and Lincoln? – the sharp intake of breath around the Emirates was understandable. The whistle never came, however, and Salah’s dangerous run was extinguished.

On the sidelines Unai Emery allowed himself a mini-celebration, whether out of raw relief or genuine appreciation. Emery has been credited with Xhaka’s upswing in form over the last few months after two seasons under Arsene Wenger which, at times, were enough to make fans press their fingers into their eyes until they saw flashing stars and wanted to scream. Used as a half-hearted defensive midfielder under Wenger, Xhaka showed little aptitude for playing on the back foot and was let down by his concentration, discipline, positional awareness, tackling technique and, well, pretty much everything apart from his penchant for the occasional 30-yard screamer.

Under Emery, Xhaka has generally been paired with someone defensively minded at the base of midfield (this when he hasn’t been forced to fill in as a makeshift left-back). Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira have taken some of the onus off him when Arsenal are without the ball, which seems to have allowed him to focus better on his remaining defensive duties. When the numbers were crunched against Liverpool, Xhaka came out on top for ball recoveries and tackles while ably partnered by Torreira. He also made the most passes, with tempo-setting an aspect of his game which has always been lauded by his biggest believers.

Granit Xhaka vs. Liverpool:

• Most passes on the pitch
• Most recoveries on the pitch
• Most tackles on the pitch

Immense. Absolutely immense. pic.twitter.com/E2UZlGzS1D

— Jake Entwistle (@JakeEntwistle) November 3, 2018

Trademark errors

Unfortunately, as he showed against Wolves this weekend, the Granit Xhaka error leading to a goal is still very much an aspect of his game. Under Wenger, the sight of Xhaka gifting possession to the opposition or ambling about aimlessly on the edge of the box was instinctively associated with the sinking feeling as Arsenal conceded. Though not an error leading to a goal in a statistical sense, most infamous of all was his laughable attempt at tracking back as Watford sealed a last-minute winner against Arsenal at Vicarage Road last season. In the aftermath Xhaka was accused of picking his nose as Tom Cleverley made the run which saw him rifle into the back of the net, a charge which was true in a metaphorical sense if not necessarily a literal one.

Against Wolves on Sunday, Xhaka attempted a no-look dummy in Arsenal’s defensive third which led directly to Ivan Cavaleiro scoring the opener. Having to write that sentence alone, it is hard to know whether to laugh or cry. He also failed to track back successfully, making almost a full house on the Granit Xhaka bingo card. There was no left-footed thunderbastard of a free kick to round things off, with Arsenal only salvaging a point thanks to a cross-come-shot from Henrikh Mkhitaryan bouncing over the line.

"Xhaka is actually so important to the team and nobody understands it. He didn't work well with Ramsey because he had no defensive cover and Torreira gives him that now. Hes not a DM he's a DLP." pic.twitter.com/1OrHsmyYaQ

— Anuj (@futbolAnuj) November 10, 2018

It’s mistakes like this which make Xhaka one of the most divisive players to have donned an Arsenal shirt over the last few seasons. One week he is hailed as a midfield general, as he undoubtedly was against Liverpool, and the next he is a groan-magnet, a head-in-hands footballer, a walking, talking, living, breathing facepalm. In the one camp, there are those who value Xhaka’s forward motion and passing range enough to stretch the boundaries of their patience to accommodate his limitations. In the other, there are those who feel that he is only ever one mistake away from actively costing Arsenal points and league position.

Him: Xhaka is shocking, yeah he’s got a good shot on him but he’s a loose cannon! He doesn’t even know how to tackle ffs

Her: pic.twitter.com/raLEypnukL

— IDontLikeSpurs (@IDontLikeSpurs) November 10, 2018

The truth, as ever, is probably somewhere in the middle. At his best, under specific instruction from Emery, Xhaka looks capable of dictating the pace and personality of Arsenal’s midfield in a way which never looked possible during the late Wenger era. At his worst, he is an inverse highlights reel, a You’ve Been Framed VHS tape of a footballer. Against Liverpool he was the former, against Wolves the latter, and it is telling that he has shown both extremes in little over a week.

While Xhaka’s advocates might be right to point out that there are elements of his game which are underrated, errors leading to a goal are a fundamental problem for him. He has made six in the Premier League since joining Arsenal, more than any other midfielder in the time since.

Easy as it was to frame Xhaka’s mistakes in the context of the general disorganisation of Wenger’s twilight years, the fact that they have continued under Emery – reputedly far more meticulous in his methods than a fading Wenger and with a closer attention to detail – is indicative of a lesson which has gone unlearned. Xhaka still has some way to go to prove he is up to Arsenal’s standards. In advance of real consistency, not giving away absurd goals would be a good idea.