Granit Xhaka on Arteta, Arsenal’s title and Emery ‘darkness

The former Arsenal midfielder praised Arteta’s influence on his career and said he is “cheering for sure” for his old club.

Granit Xhaka has made clear he wants Arsenal to win the Premier League title, with the former Gunners midfielder saying Mikel Arteta’s side “deserve” to end the club’s 22-year wait.

Xhaka spent seven years in north London and feels closely connected to the club, not least because of the role Arteta played in rebuilding his Arsenal career after one of its darkest moments.

The 33-year-old, now captain of Sunderland, was asked about the title race and left no doubt about where his support lies.

“Mikel is a very special person for me,” Xhaka said. “Without him I don’t think I will be here, where we are sitting today. I started to learn football in different way because of him.

“He prepares you so good that when you go on the pitch, you can really close your eyes and you know where the opponent is and you know where your team-mate is. I’m cheering for sure for Arsenal, but as well for the guys who deserved all season. I think we can be very open: Arsenal deserve to win the title.”

That verdict carries weight from a player whose Arsenal story was nearly over in 2019, when he was substituted by Unai Emery at Emirates Stadium, took off his shirt and captain’s armband, and upset the home support.

Arteta replaced Emery later that year and kept Xhaka at the club, helping him become a key figure again before his move to Bayer Leverkusen.

“The darkness [after the substitution by Emery] was only when I was alone, but it was a nice darkness because I learnt a lot from it,” he says.

Xhaka left Arsenal in 2023 after helping to drive the early stages of Arteta’s rebuild, and his respect for the manager has clearly endured. His comments also underline how far Arsenal have come since that period, from a side in trouble to one now closing in on the league title.

He also spoke about his coaching ambitions and revealed that both Xabi Alonso and Arteta had given him the same advice about his playing career.

“I spoke with Xabi [Alonso] – ‘When was the point you had the feeling you want to be from a player to coach?’ I would ask him. ‘Play as long as possible,’ he would say. Mikel [Arteta] said the same.”

Xhaka has just been named Sunderland’s Player of the Season and, at 33, he still has a few years left in him. His Sunderland contract runs until 2028, just a few months before his 36th birthday.

His older brother, Taulant, retired in the summer aged 34.

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