Granit Xhaka sends message to arsenal teammates
11 Mar 2023
Granit Xhaka, the Swiss midfielder of Arsenal Football Club, has claimed that his team is learning to live with the pressure of being favorites in the Premier League. The Gunners have had a shocking and surprising run in the Premier League this season with 20 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses. They sit at the top, 5 points clear of Manchester City.
Xhaka’s comments come just a week after Ramsdale told reporters, “It’s definitely a pressure which is so much nicer to have than the opposite side. It’s an enjoyment and because not a lot of us have been here before, we don’t really know how to handle it.”
Xhaka insisted Arsenal has the strength to compete on two fronts. This is with potentially 18 games left between now and the Europa League final in Budapest on May 31. And he said his side was also developing the mental strength to cope at the top.
“You can see that every team is playing differently against us,” said the stand-in skipper in Lisbon. “They are dropping a lot, sometimes they are pressing us as well, but this is what happens when you are top of the league. There is much more pressure than before, for sure.
“But in general, I think we are doing well. I think there is a good mentality in the team and let’s try to keep that.”
Arsenal have won their last four Premier League games but have not been convincing. They needed late goals to beat Aston Villa and Bournemouth and conceded five goals.
“You see the last games, the results, we won them,” Xhaka responded. “We have to respect all the opponents, even if Bournemouth is not top in the table. We know how difficult it is to play against them. Even in the Premier League you play against first or last, it’s the same. It’s difficult. But as long as you get the result, nobody will ask you at the end of May.”
Arteta told his side to stop conceding “simple goals” if they want to win silverware this season after letting in another from a setpiece in the Portuguese capital. Xhaka admitted they were allowing “easy goals” and said: “It’s too simple. One is a set piece, and for the other one, we don’t take the runner. But everything starts at the front, if nobody or not all of us are ready on this level, you get punched. But the 2-2 is okay. We can now finish the second leg at home.”
Arsenal is tipped to challenge for the title this season. This is after a successful summer transfer window, which saw the arrival of several top-quality players, including Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Jorginho.
However, the pressure of being at the top of the league can be a double-edged sword. While it motivates players to perform at their best, it can also lead to anxiety and fear of failure. Xhaka acknowledges this and believes that the team’s mentality is crucial in dealing with pressure.
Arsenal’s next game is against Fulham. Xhaka and his teammates will hope to build on their recent form and continue their push for the Premier League title. With Manchester City, Liverpool, and Manchester United also in the mix, it promises to be an exciting and competitive 2 last months of the season. However, if Arsenal can continue to handle the pressure and perform to their potential, they could lift the trophy.