As Arsenal prepare to face Sunderland in this weekend's Premier League clash, Granit Xhaka's absence due to injury does little to diminish his significance in the narrative surrounding this fixture. The Swiss international, now a fan favourite at Sunderland, spent seven formative years at Arsenal from 2016 to 2023, becoming a midfield mainstay during a period of resurgence for the north London club.
Arteta's Immediate Impact at Arsenal
Xhaka's final season at Arsenal marked the first time the Gunners finished second in the league under Mikel Arteta's management, a position they maintained for the subsequent two seasons. Currently, Arsenal appear exceptionally well positioned to secure their first championship in over two decades, building upon the foundations established during Xhaka's tenure.
Speaking candidly in a recent interview, Xhaka revealed the profound impression Arteta made from his very first day at the club. "I will never forget the first day Mikel came in," Xhaka told The Athletic. "At the training ground, we had a big room with chairs scattered everywhere in complete chaos."
Establishing Standards from Day One
Arteta immediately gathered all staff members and demonstrated his philosophy through a simple yet powerful metaphor. "He took all the people working in the building into this room and said: 'Guys, from the outside, you look like this. Chaos.' Everyone then took a chair and placed it correctly, to which Arteta declared: 'I want you to be like this every day.'"
Xhaka reflected on this moment with admiration: "You think 'wow', he's started already with these standards - the first day. After that, he was building our mentality, standards in training, pre-training, activation, recovery. He brought people in who did a great job. It was unbelievable to work with him because he saw football in a completely different way."
The Turbulent Period and Arteta's Intervention
Despite Xhaka's complimentary remarks about Arteta, his Arsenal journey experienced significant turbulence. In October 2019, during a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, Xhaka had a notorious confrontation with supporters after being substituted to jeers from sections of the Emirates crowd.
The midfielder described the harrowing experience: "I had barely begun to move when I heard the boos. And it was not just a few guys in the corner - it was a lot of people. I was shocked. I had never experienced anything like this. When I got close to the tunnel, I looked up at the fans sitting there - and this is the part that I will always remember."
A Turning Point in Xhaka's Career
Xhaka's emotional recollection continued: "When I close my eyes now, I can still see their faces. I can see their anger. It's not that they don't like me. No, it's different. This is hate. Pure hate. I am really not exaggerating this. To feel that level of hatred and disrespect, I wouldn't want it for my worst enemy."
The incident led to Xhaka being stripped of the captaincy by then-manager Unai Emery, and his departure from Arsenal seemed inevitable. "My luggage was already packed," Xhaka admitted. "I was ready to leave. I already had a contract on the table from another football club."
Arteta's Persuasive Influence
Arteta's arrival in December 2019 proved transformative for Xhaka's Arsenal career. "Mikel had two conversations with me and he convinced me to stay, to give me another chance," Xhaka revealed. "He wanted to show me that I am in the right place. From this day, I just had the feeling that every word he told me in this first conversation, everything was exactly like he said."
The midfielder credits Arteta with fundamentally changing his approach: "That's why I say that in 2019, when Mikel came, he changed me completely - as a human being, on the pitch, outside the pitch."
Legacy and Current Context
Xhaka departed Arsenal in 2023 to join Bayer Leverkusen before returning to the Premier League with Sunderland at the start of this season. He has already faced his former club once this campaign, in November, but will miss this weekend's encounter due to injury.
Despite his physical absence from the pitch, Xhaka's shadow looms large over the fixture as someone who has experienced both dressing rooms. His journey from nearly leaving Arsenal in disgrace to becoming a key figure in their resurgence under Arteta provides compelling context to this Premier League matchup.
Xhaka's reflections on the Crystal Palace incident continue to resonate: "Still to this day, if we have lost, I hate walking those last metres to the tunnel, because I still recognise the faces. The same people are sitting there. So now, I just keep my head down. I lived through that nightmare once. I don't ever want to do it again."
