Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka has earned major praise from pundits after a stunning campaign at the Stadium of Light
Ian Wright refused to be drawn into a Gary Neville question over whether he would still take Granit Xhaka at Arsenal, as the Sunderland midfielder earned major praise from pundits following an outstanding campaign.
Xhaka has been one of the standout Premier League signings of the season since his move to Sunderland, helping drive Régis Le Bris’ side into Europe and playing a central role in one of the club’s most remarkable modern campaigns. The Switzerland international’s leadership has been regularly highlighted, but Wright was keen to stress that Xhaka’s impact goes far beyond his character and presence in the dressing room.
“Because he's a fantastic player, and people keep talking about the fact that he's such a great leader, but the fact he's a fantastic player,” Wright said. “You know, whether he's passing through the lines, whether he's breaking up play, you know what I mean, whatever it is, you know what I mean, he's been fantastic.
“What he's done at Sunderland, this is what I'm saying, he could have easily been one of the players of the year. We know that he always goes to somebody at the top end, but what he's done for Sunderland, for Sunderland to be in Europe, driven mainly by him, is an amazing achievement.”
Neville then asked Wright: “Would you still have him at Arsenal?” Wright, though, avoided getting pulled into a direct Arsenal comparison after the Gunners’ title-winning campaign, while still insisting Xhaka deserves recognition for the role he played in their wider journey before his eventual move to Sunderland.
“You know something, when you look at the way he plays, I don't want to go down that deep, because obviously we've just won the league, Gal, so it's not like we're looking for players,” Wright replied. “But the fact is, people like Granit Xhaka's name should be mentioned, because he's been on that journey to get us where we've eventually got to.”
Former Everton and Newcastle United striker Duncan Ferguson also praised Xhaka’s quality in possession, describing him as a “top, top player” with the intelligence and technical ability to control games from midfield. “Well, certainly he was a big part of it, wasn't he?” Ferguson said. “Top, top player, been around, got a great brain in him, and he never gives the ball away. So if they're sitting on midfield play, you want to get the ball, give the ball, get the ball, give the ball, and he can do it. And also, he can penetrate the lines, as you said.
“He's got a lovely forward pass in him as well. He's got a good connection with Ndoye, who runs in behind. He gets his left foot, and he plays him in. So he's got the forward pass in him, and he never gives the ball away. What I'm a wee bit surprised with is their back three.
“I'm surprised that Switzerland went with a back three against this team, because they took out Manzambi, which was a big surprise, because everybody was raving on about that kid, weren't they? So I'm surprised with that, because I thought that they went more attacking. But certainly with Xhaka in there, he'll be pulling the shots, but only with a two-man midfield. His legs aren't quite there, but his passing's definitely there.”
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