Arsenal have made a rotten return following the Premier League’s enforced 100-day coronavirus break.
Battered by Manchester City and then humbled by lowly Brighton, the Gunners are already all but out of the race for next season’s Champions League places.
And tonight they face another tricky away trip, this time to Southampton (6pm).
It appears that new boss Mikel Arteta is still trying to find his best Arsenal XI. In his 12 Premier League games since replacing Unai Emery, he has played nine different defensive configurations.
At the same time, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe are struggling to hold down places in Arteta’s starting XI, while the future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remains in doubt.
But it’s not all doom and gloom for the Gunners, and fans will do well to remember that, prior to lockdown, things didn’t look too bad at all. In fact, Arteta only lost once in his first 10 league games, and he’s also guided the Gunners to the FA Cup quarter-finals.
And it seems his pre-lockdown success may be down to Granit Xhaka, who has emerged as Arsenal’s most valuable player in 2020.
The stats don’t lie. Under Arteta, Arsenal are nine games unbeaten with four clean sheets when Xhaka has completed the full 90 minutes. When the Swiss international has failed to complete the 90, Arteta has three defeats in three.
This was perhaps most noticeable last week in the 3-0 defeat at the Etihad. Xhaka came off injured after just eight minutes, and if Arteta knew his side’s record without the 27-year-old in his team, then he probably feared the worst.
Arsenal looked feeble in midfield, with Xhaka’s replacement, Dani Ceballos, struggling to fill his boots.
Loan player Ceballos has won over Arsenal fans this season, but his future at the club remains uncertain given his tumultuous relationship with Zinedine Zidane at parent club Real Madrid.
But he wasn’t good enough against City, especially in the second half when he faded from the game. Matteo Guendouzi, who is still learning his trade, also struggled without Xhaka by his side.
For the 2-1 defeat at Brighton, Xhaka’s injury meant Arteta was forced to start Ceballos and Guendouzi, and once again they struggled in the second half, letting the hosts back into the match after Arsenal had taken the lead.
Without Xhaka, the Arsenal midfield loses its shape and discipline. Arteta’s record without him is telling. The Gunners are a much stronger unit with Xhaka in the team, and much less susceptible to giving away easy goals and throwing away points.
Question marks remained over Xhaka heading into this season, with fans wondering whether he was another in a long list of defensive midfielders who have failed to take up Patrick Vieira’s mantle.
But his record shows that, under Arteta, he is starting to fit the bill.
Xhaka will no doubt be among the first names on the team sheet when he is fit - hopefully tonight at Southampton - with Arteta keen to have his main man back as soon as possible.
But, at the same time, the head coach will not be pleased knowing that his side have become so reliant on one player.
In the meantime, Ceballos and Guendouzi simply must step up, or Arsenal risk the embarrassing prospect of a mid-table finish.
