Granit Xhaka scored a fantastic goal with his right foot to help Switzerland into a 3-0 lead on Tuesday night, which they duly threw away as soon as he left the pitch.
Before the game, Xhaka had been talking about the danger posed by Tottenham Hotspur and Denmark star Christian Eriksen, describing him as a ‘player with great qualities’ who they ‘need to take good care of’.
For 80 minutes, though, it was the Arsenal man pulling the strings in midfield. Xhaka completed 95% of his passes, created three chances, completed all three of his long ball attempts, made a few clearances and interceptions, and topped it all off with this goal:
Mauvais pied? No problem. #Xhaka pic.twitter.com/j0sGbWFOQO
— Adrien Schnarrenberger (@Bergi02) March 26, 2019
Unfortunately, at 3-0 up with 12 minutes to go, the Swiss coach thought he was safe to withdraw Xhaka for a well-earned rest. Suddenly the midfielder’s team fell apart without him, conceding three goals and drawing the game.
For Xhaka, it will end up being a disappointing night. For Arsenal fans, it’s a good sign that he’s scoring goals like this and having such an impact on his team that they implode as soon as he’s off. Let’s hope he comes back riled up and ready to take down Newcastle United.