Arteta on Xhaka: “He tries to help the team in the right way”
(Picture: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Mikel Arteta has held up Granit Xhaka as the perfect example of the “character” of his Arsenal team following the Gunners’ 3-1 win at Leicester City on Sunday.
David Luiz, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe netted as Arsenal came from behind to claim a deserved Premier League victory at the King Power Stadium.
Arteta rotated his team following a gruelling late Europa League win over Benfica on Thursday night, but Xhaka remained in the starting lineup at Leicester, playing the whole game and impressing with a dominant display.
Asked about Xhaka’s importance to the team, Arteta responded: “If you have to put an example on that pitch about character and about going for every single goal with that determination, then probably it's him.
“He's played more minutes than anybody else but he keeps going, even when he is so tired. He tries to help the team in the right way and the same like with David [Luiz].
“For someone like him, at his age, to play again quickly after the game we had to play against Benfica, it was tough.
“But they had the real attitude that they wanted to be involved, they wanted to play and that's how they approach every game.”
