Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal reaction: How far can this team go under Régis Le Bris?
Granit Xhaka continues to shine for Sunderland this season
The Swiss veteran signed for the Black Cats during the summer transfer window, and has proven to be a pivotal figure ever since, assuming the captain’s armband and registering four goal contributions across his first 11 Premier League matches.
Xhaka’s most recent outing came against former club Arsenal on Saturday evening - a match that Sunderland drew 2-2 - and in the aftermath of that contest, Keown was quick to praise both the 33-year-old, and the Black Cats writ large.
What did Martin Keown say about Granit Xhaka and Sunderland?
Speaking on talkSPORT about Saturday’s clash on Wearside, Keown said: “We shouldn't be surprised, what Sunderland did. Let's give them great credit for what they did, the way that they play, the energy that they play at, and the crowd, the belief. It's all part of the story when you go there, and you've got to try and overcome that. I mean, I watched it back again last night, and we were kind of like 35 minutes in - the ball had a headache, obviously. Both teams knocking it long. So many stoppages. No rhythm, really, for Arsenal. They didn't really get their foot on the ball.
“All credit to Sunderland for that. Granit Xhaka was playing like a man possessed, absolutely. And then the young lad, Ballard, was the one ex-Arsenal player that actually struck the first blow, and he was quite awesome in the game, both from an attacking sense. But that's all credit to Sunderland.”
“Sunderland sat very deep, played with basically a five and a four, one up top. I like their system. They're able to get everybody back behind the ball. They will press high as well at times. Great deal of energy, and they will go well. I mean, they're performing. No-one would have expected to see what Sunderland have done - 14 changes in the summer, a huge amount of a turnaround at the football club.”
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He added: “No-one more important than Granit Xhaka, by the way, and, of course, the manager, who implements that. So Arsenal, I think might look back at this as actually a good point in the end. I know Arsenal are desperate to win games, but overall, I think Sunderland is going to be an interesting game for everybody else to go there and see how they get on.
“I really like the way they've come up and just said, ‘You know what? We're not going to try and pass the ball out from the back’, which they can do at times when Granit tells them to, because he literally, he's there to suggest to everyone, ‘Right, keep it... Okay, go long’. He's telling everybody, orchestrating on the pitch. I've not seen anything like that ever before from a player who's so important. He has to stay fit, Granit Xhaka. If he doesn't stay fit, they will slip down the table.”
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