Granit Xhaka tried to accentuate the positives after Arsenal were forced to settle for a frustrating 0-0 draw with Newcastle at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners enjoyed the majority of possession and produced more attempts on goal but the visitors remained disciplined at the back and got the rub of the green from the officials.
While Mikel Arteta lamented the officials failing to award his side two penalties, Xhaka pointed to the fact the Gunners have a healthy lead at the top of the table and may, in the long term, reflect on the draw as a point gained.
“If you don’t win you’re always disappointed, but we can be proud of our performance today,” the midfielder told Arsenal.com.
“We had chances and the small details we missed today, but this is part of the game and if someone told us in January that we would be in this position, we would sign straight away.
“We have to keep going, keep working on small details and keep focused for the next game.”
As the home faithful roared for Arsenal to keep piling on the pressure in the closing stages, Xhaka admitted the match might have taken a different direction had his teammates not remained disciplined at the back.
“Sometimes it’s dangerous in a game like this because you try to score, you try to open up the game as well and you are never really focused for the back, but we did very well I think and I don’t know if Newcastle had a chance today or a clear chance, but they have a good team as well, credit to them,” he said.
“They came here to take something and they took a point and now we are looking forward. In the end we can proud, not of the point, but our game and we will keep going.
He added: “We will take the point, it’s only a point, of course, but this point could be massive at the end of the season.”
Hard to disagree with him. A shame about what happened in the past but hes definitely one of, if not, the most important players in this squad. If this is how is speaks to the younger teammates, I’m certain that this result will not break out momentum and confidence.
I was disappointed that we couldn’t break them down and get the 3 points. At the same time, this itself is reason to be optimistic. • We got a point when not playing our best • Against a top side (overall and defensively) • Who sat back and played for the draw • With extremely bad luck not to get at least a penalty Expected goals show it was nearly even. However it felt like if anyone was going to win it would have been us. Didn’t feel nervous about a loss, only if we had enough time to get the win. My main… Read more »
Great attitude as ever.
No one will deserve their Premiership title winner’s medal more than him in May.
Well said. That would be the ultimate redemption story.
We are in trouble now! Xhaka is a font of wisdom and our coolest head.
Strangely enough he’s always talked common sense, so why be so surprised?
*grabbing his balls emoji*
Chapeau.
Hahahaha what is happeningggg
We were better than them ! We tried to win;! We didn’t lose ! I’ll take that for a mature performance for tonight ! Not pretty but hugely positive
Even the invincible had about 12 draws so why worry so much
Sadly, we wouldn’t win the league dropping that many points.
A draw against the third best team in the league, with the best defence, is no disgrace. It’s just frustrating because we were so much better than them today.
They came with their negative football tactics playing for a draw and helped by dodgy refereeing decisions.
Ah the good ole days.
Well said. Never thought I would be agreeing with anything that comes out of Xhaka, but here we are. And he’s playing well too. Can’t ask for much else.
Yeah, the point could be massive at the end of the season. What separated us from a Champions League spot last season was a point. The point we gained yesterday was very vital. We move.
Let’s just hope it is “massive” in a positive sense and that the two points “dropped” at home against Newcastle aren’t crucial if there’s a tight finish at the end of the season (which is probable).
He’s got a massive point.
I thought we weren’t at our best as the final pass in their last third wasn’t quite right or we mis-controlled the final ball but overall happy we didn’t lose, and sometimes a point gained is better than lost. Newcastle time wasting and parking the bus is something we will have to get used to when teams visit the Emirates.