Xhaka's disciplinary record is cause for concern at Arsenal after he
received his marching orders in Tuesday night's 2018 World Cup qualifier
Granit Xhaka received a second yellow card for a foul on Portugal's Joao Mario EPA
Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka’s rollercoaster week took yet another turn on Tuesday night as the Switzerland international was sent-off during the 2-0 2018 World Cup qualifier victory over Euro 2016 champions Portugal, earning his seventh red card since April 2014.
£35m Xhaka is seen at the Emirates as the man to give Arsenal their
bite back, with many fans of the firm opinion that the club’s failure to
replace Patrick Vieira in 2005 is the main reason behind their 12-year
Premier League title drought. The 23-year-old is yet to mark his arrival
at Arsenal with any significant contribution, but there are high hopes
that he can go on to justify his hefty price tag in the heart of Arsene
Wenger’s midfield.
Yet Arsenal fans who witnessed the 4-3 defeat by Liverpool on the
opening weekend of the Premier League season will have seen a sign of
things to come. After coming on in the 67th minute, Xhaka made seven
attempted tackles, succeeded with none and conceded four fouls, picking
up a booking 19 minutes into his Arsenal debut in the process.
That only got worse on Tuesday when he was sent-off in Switzerland’s
opening 2018 World Cup qualifier after receiving a second yellow card in
injury-time for a stupid foul on Joao Mario. Having initially been
booked for catching Portugal midfielder Adrien Silva on the thigh with a
high challenge, Xhaka received his marching orders as he slid through
the back of Mario with no chance of reaching the ball.
Xhaka protested his innocence, but the damage was already done. More
concerning though – especially for Arsenal – is the fact that the
dismissal represented Xhaka’s sixth red card in his last 78 matches and
his seventh since April 2014 for both club and country.
Xhaka leaves the field after being sent-off for Switzerland (Getty)
The Swiss international was sent-off three times last season – more
than any other player in the Bundesliga during his stint with Borussia
Monchengladbach – to add to two red cards in 2014/15 and one the season
before, and he finished the campaign by conceding the third-most fouls
in the German league by giving away 73 free-kicks or penalties.
While Arsenal supporters may decide that he offers the bite needed in
midfield, his disciplinary record is certainly a concern given Francis
Coquelin, his Arsenal teammate, is rather susceptible to a booking
himself.
The French midfielder has already picked up two bookings this season
and was sent-off for a similarly needless second booking in last
season’s north London derby with Tottenham. If Wenger decides the deploy
the two gung-ho midfielders together, Arsenal may finally have the
aggressive backbone they’ve lacked for the last decade – or
alternatively end up with a lack of central midfielders on the pitch at
all.
The Swiss international was sent-off three times last season – more
than any other player in the Bundesliga during his stint with Borussia
Monchengladbach – to add to two red cards in 2014/15 and one the season
before, and he finished the campaign by conceding the third-most fouls
in the German league by giving away 73 free-kicks or penalties.
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