Does Granit Xhaka deserve to be Arsenal's scapegoat?

Granit Xhaka was being touted as a future Arsenal captain and was expected to be one of their best midfielders since the Invincibles, but has Xhaka even improved Arsenal’s current midfield?

The Swiss international has now made over 50 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions in 18 months with the club. However, has the midfielder improved since his move to North London, and does he deserve to be Arsenal’s scapegoat?

That opinion is entirely yours, but it’s likely that the majority would say that Xhaka does deserve the scrutiny he has received from fans and pundits, alike, since joining the club.

Worrisome shortcomings

Xhaka has only played in England for 18 months and has had two red cards

He clearly has an aggressive nature, and is prone to fouling opponents, often picking up yellow cards. He has picked up nine red cards in three years, including his time at Borussia Monchengladbach, and got two red cards in his first 19 appearances for Arsenal.

This is somewhat down to his reactions, which are slow both on and off the ball. Not to mention how poor his positional awareness is, which has led to him losing the ball in dangerous areas on quite a few occasions and often caused him to commit tactical fouls.

Wenger deserves some blame for Xhaka’s stalled progression. Since arriving in England, he has struggled to adapt to playing as a defensive midfielder, which he isn’t.

His tackling and reading of the play simply isn’t good enough to be a defensive midfielder, which probably explains why he has struggled there. It is evident he needs a defensive-minded player alongside him, along with a more creative midfield like Aaron Ramsey or Jack Wilshere.

Why Xhaka can't be played in his natural position

But, the problem then is Ozil will not be able to occupy the number 10 position with three central midfielders. He plays best as a number 10, and Arsenal lose creativity if he doesn’t play there, so you see Wenger’s predicament.

Therefore, the blame does sway back in Xhaka’s direction. Although he isn’t a defensive midfielder and is much more of a deep playmaker, he hasn’t improved the defensive aspects of his game since his arrival and has failed to eradicate the clear mistakes he is making in each game.

Xhaka and Ramsey were at one point beginning to build a formidable partnership

Furthermore, it seems Xhaka is drastically underperforming. He has shown how monstrous he can be in midfield alongside Ramsey. When the team first moved to a back five and started playing Xhaka and Ramsey together in a two-man midfield, they won seven of their final eight Premier League games (albeit with one of those games being alongside Coquelin).

Most notably, in the FA Cup Final, Xhaka put in his greatest performance in an Arsenal shirt. He completely dictated the play, won every tackle and played the two Premier League winning midfielders, Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante, off the park.

Other strengths and weaknesses

But this season, Xhaka seems to have started to play like he did at the beginning of last season, being sloppy in possession and making big errors, even if they aren’t always punished.

Statistics emphasise how sloppy he can be on the ball in deep areas too. In the 18 months he has been at Arsenal, the team have made 12 errors leading to goals, and four of them came from Xhaka alone.

On the flip side, the midfielder has a passing range that very few players in the Premier League or even the world can match. But it is that quality that he has that makes it even more frustrating when he gives the ball away so cheaply in very deep areas.

He has boasted 90%+ passing accuracy in four games this season, and has completed the most passes in the league with a staggering 1,516. It is quite an achievement to be ahead of all Manchester City players considering how much possession they keep.

Xhaka has completed the most passes in the Premier League this season

Despite that though, WhoScored player ratings give Xhaka an average of 6.95 for his performances in the Premier League, which is the second worst of any outfield player who has made more than 10 starts for the Gunners this season.

Xhaka has a wand of a left foot and Arsenal fans would love to see him reach his full potential, but right now, the midfielder does deserve to be Arsenal’s scapegoat.

Disclaimer: This article presents the view of the author and does not necessarily reflect Sportskeeda's opinion on the matter.