Granit Xhaka led Switzerland to victory over Iceland on Monday, captaining his side to a 2-1 victory and impressing on an individual basis.
Xhaka took the captain’s armband once again on Monday night, with the usual captain Stephan Lichtsteiner sitting out of this international break. Coming up against Iceland, Switzerland really needed to get the win and keep their hopes of winning the group alive.
The Arsenal midfielder played a big part in making that happen. He assisted the team’s first goal, scored by Seferovic, which you can watch below (skip to 1:30):
Not only that, but WhoScored gave Xhaka their man-of-the-match award. It was his second in a month, after also picking up the accolade with his performance for Arsenal against Newcastle United.
It’s no surprise in this case, as Xhaka put in a very strong performance. He had 10% of the match possession on his own, continuing to influence matches as he does at his best.
The midfielder completed all of his dribbles and won all five of his duels, more than any other Swiss player. He also won one tackle, made three interceptions, two clearances, and wasn’t dispossessed a single time.
After the game, Xhaka posted on Instagram to say it was a “good win” that gives him a “good feeling to take back to Arsenal”. Let’s hope that can help the Gunners to another win over Leicester City on Monday.