Former Gunner Granit Xhaka and Arsenal Women star Lia Walti have both been nominated for the Swiss Player of the Year award for 2023.

Lia Walti injury update - LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MAY 17: Lia Walti of Arsenal arrives at the stadium during the FA Women's Super League match between Everton FC and Arsenal at Walton Hall Park on May 17, 2023 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND: Lia Walti of Arsenal arrives at the stadium during the FA Women’s Super League match between Everton FC and Arsenal at Walton Hall Park on May 17, 2023. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)

The SFV (Swiss Football Association) and the SFL (Swiss Football League) are set to announce their yearly awards for 2023 on Monday, January 15th, and Arsenal have a vested interest in a couple of the nominees.

Though he isn’t an Arsenal player anymore, Granit Xhaka has been nominated for the Men’s Player of the Year award in part due to his form with the Gunners in the first half of 2023.

Xhaka has been nominated alongside Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji and Burnley’s Zeki Amdouni, and he should have a pretty good shot at winning the award.

Arsenal news and gossip - Arsenal's Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium in London on May 28, 2023. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium in London on May 28, 2023. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

The former Arsenal midfielder was excellent for the Gunners in 2022/23, and he’s gone on to be part of a very strong Bayer Leverkusen side in the first half of 2023/24.

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Leverkusen are top of the Bundesliga and unbeaten, and they’ve won every single game in the Europa League and the German Cup.

Xhaka is also captain of the national team, and he led them to qualification for the 2024 Euros.

A win would be Xhaka’s third, having previously been named Player of the Year in 2017 and 2022.

BOREHAMWOOD, ENGLAND - MARCH 08: Lia Walti of Arsenal during the FA Women's Super League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Meadow Park on March 08, 2023 in Borehamwood, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
BOREHAMWOOD, ENGLAND: Lia Walti of Arsenal during the FA Women’s Super League match between Arsenal and Liverpool at Meadow Park on March 08, 2023. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

As for Lia Walti, the Arsenal Women star has been nominated alongside Ramona Bachmann and Gaelle Thalmann for the Women’s Player of the Year award.

Once again, it’s a much-deserved nomination for one of the standout players in the Arsenal Women’s team. It would be Walti’s second award, having previously won in 2021.

With any luck, Arsenal fans could be set to watch two of their favourites picking up both of the main awards in Monday’s ceremony.

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