Premier League 2019-20: 3 reasons why Arsenal drew with Watford

#2 The Xhaka predicament

Granit Xhaka

What's with Arsenal managers and Granit Xhaka? Can they not see that he is a liability in the Arsenal team?

Xhaka's performance at Watford was totally sub-standard. He passed the ball to the opposition more than his teammates and did not cover the gaps left by Sead Kolasinac when he foraged forward.

When Unai Emery took over and Lucas Torreira impressed, many were hopeful that Xhaka would face the axe. But that isn't happening and it's hard to understand why.

In fact, Torreira regular presence on the bench has caused him to lose confidence in himself. Who wouldn't? You put in your best performances and the boss rewards you with the best spot on the bench. It's not right.

Every week Torreira watches Xhaka make ridiculous mistakes and still get picked over him. Sure Xhaka can pass the ball with pin-point accuracy, on occasions that are becoming rarer with every passing game, but is that good enough for Arsenal?

It is worth noting that Xhaka plays the role held by Patrick Vieira in the past: the leader who stops attacks from the opposition and spreads the ball for the team's own forwards. But Xhaka is not a leader. Secondly, he can rarely stop an attack without fouling the player. Thirdly, his ball distribution is distinctly sub-par. So why is he in the team?

Some people say it is because Arsenal doesn't have another option. But Torreira is a very viable option! And if for some reason the manager has other plans for him, there has to be an alternative solution to the Xhaka predicament.