Granit Xhaka, former Arsenal captain, has made a huge impact at Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, drawing on his experiences to avoid a repeat of Arsenal’s previous season falter.
Granit Xhaka, the former Arsenal captain, has made a significant impact since his return to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen. Xhaka’s performance this season has earned widespread acclaim, with the Swiss international playing a key role in Leverkusen’s success.
As they lead the Bundesliga by four points from Bayern Munich, Xhaka is keen to apply the lessons learned from his time at Arsenal to prevent a similar late-season collapse in the title race.
Reflecting on his tenure at Arsenal, particularly during last season’s Premier League campaign, where Arsenal led the league for a considerable period before faltering, Xhaka said, “I know what it feels like to be up there and not win at the end.” He is determined to help Leverkusen maintain their strong form and avoid a similar decline. “I don’t hope there’s a phase in which we lose games. But when it happens, it’s part of football.”
“You can dream,” Xhaka added, referring to the club’s chances in the title race and their 24-game unbeaten streak across three competitions. “The fans also know that it is too early to talk about it.”
Emphasising his ‘dream’, Xhaka said, “I didn’t come to lose, but to win.”
The midfielder is not only concentrating on Leverkusen’s team performance but also on his personal fitness. “I’m most happy about this whole club, finally having a holiday again [at Christmas] after seven years.
“It’s good for me and my family,” said the 31-year-old. “I’ll try to come back as fit as possible.”
This season, Xhaka has featured in 22 appearances across all competitions for Leverkusen. In the Bundesliga, he has played in 15 matches, totalling 1,328 minutes.
Although yet to score in the league, his influential presence in midfield has been vital for the team.
In the Europa League, Xhaka has made four appearances, contributing one assist and playing 320 minutes. Additionally, he has played in three DFB-Pokal matches.