Granit Xhaka says Arsenal shouldn’t talk about a Premier League top four finish after Leicester City condemned us to a third damaging defeat inside seven days.
Our eighth defeat on the road means we’ve only collected 22 points on the road this season, exactly half the number we’ve accumulated at home. As things stand, we’re 10th in the table for away results this with a goal difference of negative six. Pretty pathetic.
Now fifth in the table, we know that our chances of qualifying for the Champions League are no longer in our hands. All we can do at this point is beat Brighton and Burnley and hope that Chelsea drop points in their matches with Watford and Leicester.
Reflecting on the situation an exasperated Xhaka told Sky Sports: “It is not the right moment to think about the top four.
“We had three big chances. It started with Crystal Palace, then Wednesday against Wolves and finished (on Sunday).
“If you don’t take from two away games and one at home three points, you can’t speak about the top four.”
The Swiss was also asked for the millionth time about why we don’t seem to be able to perform away from the Emirates. He replied, “It is difficult to explain why we don’t play like at home and why we don’t take the points.
“I said this last week. It is a different game away and at home. You can’t play like at home.
“You have to win the duels, run more than the opponents because the fans are in front of them.
“All the teams in the Premier League can play football and they can fight. If you don’t take the fight against them it looks like (Sunday).”
With two home games coming up this week, there’s no time to dwell on how shit we’ve been recently. Valencia need a humbling and then we need to take out our frustrations on Glenn Murray and co.
No confidence in the team at all right now
Well it’s not the same at home as away. But it kind of is. You don’t see Liverpool or Man City severely altereing their game plan every away match. I’m sure they look at the opposition and think about what they may have to deal with. But overall they keep the same formation and personnel. They just work extra hard and battle out wins.
Look forget Top 4, win the Europa League, it does the same thing. Secondly instead of trying to somehow sneak top 4 with an undercooked team, focus on becoming a team good enough to make top 4. Then making the top 4 will take care of itself.
Thirdly, sell Mustafi and everyone who calls himself a defender in the side.
That’s going to involve three top class performances, two of them away. I hope we can’t but don’t have any faith at all at the moment
I think that’s fair enough from Xhaka – he is right, we can’t talk about top 4 anymore. We should have sealed 3rd place this weekend. Instead we’re 5th and could be lucky to finish there. But is anyone really surprised anymore? I hate to be such a downer on what has already been such an absurd 10 days, but we are a fucking shit football team now. There is no way to sugar coat it, or hide away from it. But that’s what we are. When you think about some of the necessary attributes a team actually needs to… Read more »
Much of what you say I agree with, except the bit on Ramsey. He’s been good this year, but for many years all he did was pass sideways and backwards, gradually leading the team from greatness down to where we are now. The FA Cup heroics also don’t merit the adulation he gets. I wanted him gone at the beginning of the season, and still do, based on the fact we can do better than him for the money he would have cost us to keep him. One of the most overrated players in club history.
Very much a case of not appreciating what we had until it’s gone with Ramsey I think. I’ve said for so many years now that if you put him in a team with structure, discipline and some decent tactics he could be as good as, if not better than, one of the best goalscoring midfielders the Prem has ever had in Lampard. Sadly he had none of that support in his Arsenal career. He can literally do everything to a decent level- there aren’t many players you can say that about. And this professionalism since revealing he’s leaving has shown… Read more »
I dont really get why he polarises people so much. The guy has been class for us as a whole. And lets not forget, he has played in some absolutely dog shit teams. His fitness struggles have also played a huge part in why he has never been able to hit full form — definitely that injury at Stoke a played a huge role in his career too. I think he probably would’ve been far more consistant had he not have suffered that injury. But regardless — might point was — currently, in that squad of players, there arent that… Read more »
The Swiss was also asked for the millionth time about why we don’t seem to be able to perform away from the Emirates.
I think that this week we have shown that we can play at home the way like we play away. 1-3, 1-3, 0-3.
Granit is my favourite player currently in the whole squad. Just a matter of preference. Love his silky long balls with his left foot and when him and Torreira get more matches together in the centre of the pitch, they work in fusion very well. However, it’s funny how just a few articles before on Arseblog he talked about top 4 in PL being the priority over EL.. and now this happens. Their overall confidence is really, really low. I know he’s giving it to us straight up but it also gives away that something is fundamentally wrong at the… Read more »
Watch his man marking for the first goal.
He’s the slowest CDM I have ever seen! Sell him please!
Slow isn’t a problem.
Watch Sokratis defending.
The second (killer) goal was comedy.
How Koscielny and him can be beat by one direct ball from their keeper to Vardy. We were flat (Wasn’t the first time, Sokratis was caught flat against Wolves for one of the goals too)
None of these are Granit’s fault.
Well he´s actually not the typical CDM. Rather he´s a deep lying playmaker.
He’s not fit to wear the shirt
He is a complete liability. Probably got more assists for the opposition.!!!!
Do you mean his “silky longball” to the left flank that went directly out of bounds for a goal kick? Or his “silky impression of a statue” when Tielemans ran right past him into the box and scored their first goal?
I know it’s not all Xhaka’s fault but I feel like I have to mention that since he signed we haven’t qualified for the Champs lge. A coincidence? Maybe! but it’s just something I noticed
Also true of mustachi
That seems less of a coincidence
You like Sokratis and Koscielny’s defending for the second Lecicester goal?
Or Sokratis against Wolves, I believe their third goal when the player just left him flat footed?
Back 4 with Sokratis-Koscielny any better? Last I checked we slipped to 3 nothing defeats…twice.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence but it’s not a causal relationship either. Rather I think bringing him in, and to a greater extent Mustafi and Mkhi, reflects a change to our transfer policy. We went from cheap, talented but inexperienced players that fit our philosophy, to expensive, nominally good-on-paper players that don’t and feel ill-suited to the league. Guendouzi and Torreira have reversed the trend a bit tbf to them.
But there’s still far too much bitching and moaning to the refs which contributes to their blatant, obvious antipathy toward us.
Kolašinac, Xhaka, Guendouzi, Mustafi, to lesser extent Sokratis, notice how much they are always bitching and moaning at the refs.
I wonder if they have confidence in their manager’s approach.
What approach?
Ahhh…… I see what you did there.
This is an issue that long precedes the manager. I don’t care whether they have confidence in the approach or not, they’re bottlers. They don’t seem to have an issue turning up for the games they have to turn up in at home and for the odd big game away now but away from home against some team they think they’re better than they just fold when it gets a bit tough.
Absolutely spot on, it’s not Emery’s fault, remember the end of the Wenger era, we were a laughing stock away from home, no passion, no fight, no fucking pride….
There were a few players who came in post Wenger and I don’t see any improvement.
Simple fact is that our players are not good enough, the only player we have that would get into any side in the current premiership top 4 or any top euro team is leaving on a free at the end of the season.
Hyperbole much… the wider point still stands though.
Pep wouldn’t entertain him in a million years. Doubt Klipperty would either. As for the fella at Spurs, no chance whatsoever. Aside from that, you’re bang on.
I think he’d definitely have a good chance of playing for Pool, CM is arguably their weakest position. City less so but he’d be seen as a decent option at least. And he’d walk into Utd, Chelsea and Spurs. I think we have other players that would challenge as well though. There’s a case for Bellerin in the top 2, and maybe Laca at Pool. Chelsea would take both our strikers as well. And Utd’s backline is a mess even compared with ours. That doesn’t mean we don’t need investment, we need a shit load. But apart from the top… Read more »
Klipperty ?
Are you suggesting none of our players are an upgrade on Chelsea apart from Ramsey? If so, then I call nonsense!
Xhaka is not good enough that’s a fact, every now and then he has a decent game but overall he’s a liability, the reason why we don’t play well away from home is that we don’t have the confidence nore the organization to do so, the coach doesn’t know how to set his team up to go out and get points, and in the event that he does, our boys lack the fight, they dont know how to dig in, dig deep to win every tackle, win every 50/50 ball, and put in a real shift. They lack discipline, they… Read more »
Its Xhaka’s fault for second Leicester goal that came direct from Schmiecal to Vardy?
Is the only way you can perceive a player as not good enough is if he’s directly responsible for every goal we ever concede?
We won all of one away game last season. Surely this is a continuation of last season’s stasis?
Although last season was similar in terms of our away form, we still had an identity, a way arsenal played football, although it was outdated and getting easier to play against it was still the arsenal way. I fail to see a system,structure or identity in emerys tactics, he is still to work out a formation to suit the players, i dread to think where we would be without the two strikers wenger signed before he left. Mkhi, Iwobi are poor, as are sokratis,mustafi and kolasinac, ozil gets slagged off for not running around or trying but he alongside the… Read more »
Ozil might have been world class before he retired but even then it was doubtful.
What exactly about Ozil is world class anymore?
Apparently his Fortnite skills
We’re better than last season
Özil, “ world class player”. What are you smoking?
That clown should be the first on the transfer list in the summer.
And Xhaka won’t start for Leicester, Westham nor Everton.
Although the payers have been very poor, playing two up front when neither get more than a half chance is a problem. They need more in midfield and Emery didn’t even address that when we lost a player. For all his tactics, there still seems to be a bit of guesswork going on.
Aubameyang was awful.
Some people like to complain about him getting ‘no service’.
Vardy plays up front alone for Leicester and had way more touches.
You have to make your own service happen. Auba hides and waits for the ball to be played to him, can’t compete or hold the ball for us, relief pressure, can’t even use his legendary pace to win a foot race against Evans.
He expected Iwobi and Mikhitaryan to do their fucking jobs and they didn’t, especially the latter, who is IMHO the biggest need to move on player in the club right now apart from Ozil and Mustafi. 180 pw and does fuck all far too often, brilliant on his day which comes far too seldom.
Think it might be best to cash in on Xhaka in the summer and try something else. Just hasn’t worked for him at arsenal. He pulls out of to too many 50/50s and his passing is hit and miss. Defensively he’s never switched on. If our midfield players tackle more it would take so much pressure of our defenders
Cash in ? We’ll have to give him away, along with Ozil, Miki & most of the others
It’s going to be a discount sell out
BC we have to replace Cech, Ramsey, Koscielny, Lichstiener, Elneny, Jenkinson, Suarez, Mustafi, Chambers, Welbeck.
So you want to replace Granit as well?
Live in reality much?
Amazingly we’re still in with a decent shout, Chelsea and United drawing yesterday was the best result we could have hoped for.
United should beat Huddersfield and Cardiff, I fancy Chelsea to drop points, then it’s just whether we can get 6/6….
I’m not confident, but there’s a decent enough chance we could steal it on goals scored or goal difference
Yeah it is kinda ridiculous that after 3 straight defeats, we are still in it. Mathematically, de-facto we are dead and buried.
Less talk, more action. Show us you really want Champions League. Past week was crap but all hope is not lost.
“I said this last week. It is a different game away and at home. You can’t play like at home. “You have to win the duels, run more than the opponents because the fans are in front of them. “All the teams in the Premier League can play football and they can fight. If you don’t take the fight against them it looks like (Sunday).” In that case make an effort! You run more than your opponents, if other teams in the PL can fight you have to show them that you can fight as well…. I have heard it… Read more »
There are so many players at clubs like Wolves, Leicester, Palace, Watford etc that would walk into our first team & that’s depressing.
No way we will away at Burnley..
I find it hard to change my opinion of Xhaka from when he first arrived and was constantly getting cought in two minds and was always to slow both in mind and tracking/tackling. Saying that, he has improved but along with other players we seem to collect, he is never going to boss the midfield. Maybe it’s time to go back to getting some big strong athletes across the middle. We have had very little success with the small/light weight, skilful player and away from home we just get bullied and pissed on by the bigger/stronger, want it more teams.… Read more »
In the early season, the whole team is pressing every game and making the other team commit mistakes. Its been missing ever since and hence there isnt any fight recently. Most players are either tired or lacking fight.
I don’t thinks we can finish in top four this season, because England FIFA is …………
… non-existent?
Agree with Granit. No time to dwell on permutations in league now. We need to set it aside and concentrate on the Europa. Valencia are not good domestically of late either. We have to sort ourselves out, rediscover important fundamentals : 1)Back 3 – Do not attempt to play back 4. its too late in season to try to adapt a new system. When we switched to back 4 against Palace, Mustafi had issues. BUT this was the issue again next game with the much vaunted pairing of Koscielny-Sokratis. Same (if not worse result) We started in a back 4… Read more »
Get a room
Been a massive leadership problem on the pitch for a number of years now. What percentage of games has our official club captain started over the past 6 seasons? I was hoping the Ramsey would be made captain at the beginning of this season.
It seems like the players only agrees to do interviews if they’re not faced with critical questions. I would love to ask him the simple question « you saw the Leicester bloke run past you and did nothing to track him down. WHY?»
Cause I was too tired to run as fast as he did, so I thought what’s the point
Lack of concentration IMHO. Focusing on EL and therefore not getting into challenges and running a little bit less than needed. The problem is that Emery will probably get rid of lot of players come summer but it will take time to build a really good team.
It bothers me that when asked about why it’s so tough away from home the players point to work rate and fight. They know they’re short on it yet they never seem to actually *do* anything about it. Bunch of flakes.
I can’t see us being a top 4 calibre side with Xhaka at the heart of it, he’s just not it.
Perfect player? Hell no! BUT he’s the only player in the team besides Mesut that can actually pass a ball. Which sums up most of our problems.
When he plays for Switzerland he is a world beater. Our best performances this season have been with Xhaka. We dip without him. We need a balanced midfield 3 with Torreira, Xhaka and a box- to- box player.
We have forwards if we get the best out of them. One of 3 could be Ozil. We have loads of promising young players also. A world class right winger would be welcomed.
What we do need is a completely new central defence and a left back who can defend.
Be fair to Emery – Granzouli, Torreira and Leno have been good
Definitely filing this one in the “No shit, Sherlock” folder.
The ES was to generate funds for the gunners to compete at the highest level. Instead it has been used to enrich the US owner. Asa result Emery has been forced to forage for scraps. Assuming cl qualification can be obtained ,imho,Arsenal are unlikely to win it .It may happen 2 years or longer .To do that Arsenal must look for quality players who don’t come cheap. That’s why when Guardiola was available,Arsenal didn’t try t get him He would insist on a fund of at least GBP 200 to 300.There you have it. The top teams have bazookas to… Read more »
Spurs have a real shot at winning the CL this year, just saying. They are competing just fine and technically (as we showed in the 2 games we played against them and could be arsed), they are not that much better than us.
Here’s an idea Granit:
Stop talking about anything except how you’re gonna win every fucking game left this season.