My Arsenal Blog

In the midst of an insanely tough nine-game schedule in October, Granit Xhaka was somehow able to shine through by playing in every single fixture that Arsenal were involved in. The midfield maestro created 12 chances, won 17 duels and made 350 successful passes, as the Swiss sensation heads into the World Cup with more momentum than anyone could’ve imagined he would possess.

Xhaka also scored on three occasions against Tottenham, Southampton and PSV Eindhoven, showcasing just how well-rounded he has become.

As a result, he has won the Player of the Month award for the second straight time.  .......Read more here.....

For someone who seemed to have one foot out of the door not so long ago, Granit Xhaka has done a pretty good job of glowing up in an Arsenal shirt.

The Swiss midfielder is now widely considered to be the talisman for Arsenal Football Club and over the course of the last month, as confirmed by Arsenal.com, he’s been able to prove that in quite a remarkable manner.

That’s because Xhaka was named as the clear and obvious winner of the September Player of the Month award.  .......Read more here.....

It isn’t over yet, not mathematically anyway, but Arsenal’s chances of finishing fourth in the Premier League and qualifying for next season’s Champions League have taken a second huge blow in a week when they left St. James Park defeated. The Magpies were handed the lead in the 55th minute through a Ben White own-goal, before Bruno Guimaraes added the second in the 85th to set the final score at 2-0.  .......Read more here.....

While he may not be everyone’s cup of tea, there’s no way of denying that Granit Xhaka is an integral part of the Arsenal family – and you’d have to think that’ll continue to be the case for quite some time to come.

The 29-year-old has been named the Gunners’ Player of the Month for April after a series of strong performances, most notably against Chelsea and Manchester United where he was absolutely integral in helping the club secure some really big wins. His highlight, of course, was the absolute belter he scored to give Arsenal the win over United.  .......Read more here.....

The number of problems Arsenal have had with the players wearing the captain’s armband in recent years borders on ridiculous. It’s still not easy to forget the manner in which Laurent Koscielny left the club, and after that, Granit Xhaka was stripped of the privilege after an angry altercation with the fans at the Emirates. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the next man in line, and we all know how that ended. Alexandre Lacazette took it on from there, but the Frenchman is on his way out of the club too and he may have already played his last game for the club.  .......Read more here.....

The end of the season is looming ever closer and with it comes the day when the contract of Alexandre Lacazette expires. The French striker has so far made a total of 197 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners, hitting the back of the opposition net 71 times and helping a teammate do so on 36 occasions.

Lacazette’s influence in the team has notably grown since the start of the disciplinary issues and subsequent departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang two months ago. He’s proven he can be of great use to Mikel Arteta going forward, but we’re still to see a remotely reliable report about any talks over a new deal.  .......Read more here.....

Granit Xhaka is one of the players who have often been targets of online abuse, but the Switzerland international claims he won’t be driven away from Arsenal in that way.

Controversies have always been a corner away when it comes to Xhaka, and given his combative spirit, that’s not something to be wondered at. The most notable incident by far happened last season in the home match against Crystal Palace, when he displayed an angry outburst in reaction to boos and whistles which came from the stands of the Emirates Stadium as he walked off to be substituted. That moment cost him the captain’s armband.  .......Read more here.....

Arsenal put in a fine display to book all three points against stubborn Premier League newcomers Brentford on Saturday, with Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka proving once again that the Gunners have some proper gems among the younger players in the squad at the moment. The only goal for the Bees was the work of Christian Norgaard, three minutes into the stoppage time.

The Gunners are now in sixth place with 42 points, four less than Manchester United in fourth but with three games in hand on the 20-time champions. Their chances of finishing inside the top four finally seem realistic.  .......Read more here.....

No transfer window is ever a dull affair when it comes to stories popping up like mushrooms in a forest after a long rain, some from relatively respectable sources, others less so. An interesting one has popped up in Italy today (Thursday).

Corriere dello Sport are reporting that Jose Mourinho still wants Granit Xhaka in his team, and that having failed to sign him last summer, Roma are preparing a second offensive to try and tempt the Swiss international to swap North London for the Italian capital.  .......Read more here.....

Arsenal fan Jack Robinson from St Louis, Missouri, USA, flew over to the UK with his wife to watch Arsenal play Wolverhampton Wanderers today (Tuesday), on a trip he had arranged six months ago as part of their 10 year wedding anniversary celebrations, only to discover that the match has been postponed.

“This one hurts so bad,” Robinson tweeted. “I have had this planned and booked for well over 6 months, first the summer tour was cancelled on me now this game, lost for words, sick, its me and my wife’s 10-year anniversary, wanted to show her something special something she can remember forever.”  .......Read more here.....