Granit Xhaka says he’s proud to have played his 200th Premier League game for Arsenal and he hopes there’s still more to come.

Arsenal's Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal of the UEFA Europa League Group A football match between Arsenal and PSV Eindhoven at The Arsenal Stadium in London, on October 20, 2022. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP)
Arsenal’s Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal of the UEFA Europa League Group A football match between Arsenal and PSV Eindhoven at The Arsenal Stadium in London, on October 20, 2022. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP)

Granit Xhaka hit his 200th Premier League appearance on Sunday, starting in a 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest. Speaking after the game, the midfielder admitted it was a proud moment for him.

“Yeah, 200 games in the Premier League for this amazing football club makes me proud,” Xhaka said. “It makes me proud for myself, for my teammates, for the staff I’ve had in the last seven years.

“It’s not usual to make 200 games for a club like this. I always say I want to give them something back. I feel at home as well so hopefully, there’s more to come.

“Of course, in the end, it’s a number, but it makes you proud. Two hundred games, you can’t achieve that from today to tomorrow.

“It needs a lot of hard work, a lot of discipline, a lot of people were included around me for the last seven years, and in the end, it’s hard work.”

Arsenal's English midfielder Reiss Nelson (L) celebrates with Arsenal's Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka (R) after scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium in London on October 30, 2022.(Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s English midfielder Reiss Nelson (L) celebrates with Arsenal’s Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka (R) after scoring their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium in London on October 30, 2022. (Photo by IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)

It could certainly be argued that things have never been better for Xhaka in the Premier League than they are right now.

Though the midfielder has won a couple of FA Cups and Community Shields with Arsenal, as well as making it to a League Cup and Europa League final, the team’s league results over that period have not been so impressive.

Arsenal’s best league finish in the last six seasons is fifth, and they dropped as low as eighth between 2019 and 2021.

Right now, the Gunners are top of the league. What’s more, Xhaka is having an excellent individual campaign, scoring four goals and assisting three in 17 games.

Only Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus have more goal contributions this campaign, as Xhaka is currently level with Gabriel Martinelli and one ahead of Martin Odegaard.

It’s hard to say whether a genuine title race might be possible this season, but with Xhaka as a regular starter, it definitely looks as if they can finally finish high enough to return to the Champions League.