Form Guide: Will ill-disciplined Xhaka impact Arsenal's title pursuit?

As Granit Xhaka received his marching orders for the second time this season in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Burnley last time out, becoming just the second player to receive two red cards in the Premier League this season, there was a sense of frustration among supporters. As good as the Swiss star is on the ball - and he is very good when in possession - his ill-discipline can be cause for concern. In his last three league campaigns across Germany and England, Xhaka has picked up six red cards, an average of one every 12 starts. Factor in the 17 yellow cards across the same period and it’s little wonder the midfielder has developed a statistically calculated WhoScored weakness of ‘discipline’. 

This is a downside to the 24-year-old’s game that Arsenal must have known about and it’s possible that his lack of discipline could well de-rail the Gunners’ title pursuit. Arsene Wenger’s side fortunately won both of their Premier league fixtures in the games Xhaka was red carded in, overcoming Swansea and Burnley on home turf, yet they might not be so fortunate if Xhaka is given his marching orders against stronger opposition. Xhaka’s sending off against Burnley means he already misses next week’s London derby away to Chelsea, while his return to domestic duties is currently pencilled in for the trip to Liverpool at the beginning of March. 

Between then and the end of the season, the Gunners are still to face Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United, three direct rivals in the race to secure a top-4 finish. Xhaka’s unavailability against the trio or potential sending off in the three games would significantly impair Arsenal’s chances of a Champions League finish or, if they overcome Chelsea next weekend, a first title win since 2004. Indeed, his run ins with officials this term could see Wenger think twice over naming Xhaka in future XIs, particularly if he begins to view the summer arrival as more of a hindrance than a help in pressure-cooker situations. 

“With both of his red cards this season, Xhaka cleaned out his opponent with no chance of winning the ball,” Arsenal legend Martin Keown, a man renowned for his hot headed approach during his playing days, said this week. “If he keeps getting sent off then it will only shorten his Arsenal stay,” he added. Keown may be jumping the gun regarding Xhaka’s Arsenal career - the north London side won’t be cashing in on a player they paid Gladbach a rumoured £35m to sign only last summer - but the player knows he needs to keep his temper in check if he is to earn the trust of the supporters and stay on the pitch long enough to make a career for himself in the capital. 

When Arsenal are, of course, in possession, though, Xhaka lives up to the billing. Of Arsenal players to make 10 or more league appearances this season, only Mohamed Elneny (92.4%) has a better pass success rate than Xhaka (89.4%). One of the Switzerland star’s WhoScored strengths is ‘passing’ and for an Arsenal side that averages 56.3% possession, this is vital. What’s more is Xhaka’s passing range. He’s capable of playing the ball short to ensure the Gunners retain possession or playing long passes to spring swifts attacks, as noted in an average of 4.7 accurate long balls per game, more than any Arsenal outfielder, which utilises the speed of the team’s attacks. 

This offers Arsenal a varied approach in how to attack opponents, be it through patient build up play or to hurt sides directly to maximise the pace of the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Alex Iwobi, to name three. It offers the club another dimension to the way they attack, with Wenger not alien to adopting a direct style of play having done so at the turn of the millennium. He’s also more than capable of winning the ball himself before moving the ball forward with an average of 2.7 tackles per game second only to Francis Coquelin (2.8) of all Arsenal players. Wenger may have been critical of Xhaka’s tackling, but the Swiss midfielder is evidently more than capable of robbing the opposition of possession. 

While Coquelin may be an effective ball winner, however, he lacks the technical qualities and distribution to match Xhaka in terms of ability. There’s also reason to believe that if Wenger demands Xhaka curbs his temper, then Arsenal lose the aggressive side of the player. The Gunners have been criticised in the past of boasting a soft underbelly, with a lack of fight at times costing the club further success. It’s very much a catch-22 for Arsenal and Wenger, who know that Xhaka needs to control his aggression, but not enough to let it affect his overall game. 

At 24 years of age, there is still ample time for Xhaka to channel this mental side to his game for the benefit of Arsenal. In a week to forget that has seen him questioned by police following alleged racial abuse on the back of his red card against Burnley, Xhaka has what it takes to continue his development and become the midfield lynchpin supporters hope. Arsenal are unlikely to cut their losses on a player whose distribution and defensive awareness is crucial to their long-term success, especially as the pros far outweigh the cons on the pitch, but it’s now down to the player himself to prove his worth to the club in the middle of the park.