He has played a slightly deeper role at Leverkusen but is still seemingly having a big impact on their attacking prowess. The role of a midfielder sometimes is to get the ball to the front three as much as possible to allow them to do their thing in and around the opposition’s 18-yard box.
Arsenal are still succeeding in Xhaka’s absence, sitting a point off leaders Manchester City in the Premier League as well as being on the cusp of qualifying for the knockout stage in the Champions League. But their free-flowing attacking football from last season isn’t there and maybe Xhaka’s exit has contributed to that, with Declan Rice still learning in his role as a box-to-box player.
Arsenal have been efficient this term without being spectacular. Much of the personnel is still the same, with Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli the main sources of creativity.
However, they are not as easy on the eye as they were and not getting the ball in attacking areas as quickly and as frequently as last season. Perhaps Xhaka had a bigger role in the team than many gave him credit for.
