Mikel Arteta has described Granit Xhaka's resurgence in the Arsenal midfield as 'phenomenal' and believes there's more to come from the Swiss international.
The 28-year-old put in a solid performance at the heart of the Gunners' midfield as they drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Xhaka was shown a straight red card in a match against Burnley last month after he grabbed Ashley Westwood by the throat, but his recent performances have been improved and the defensive side of his game has also received praise.
In our player ratings from the Palace game, Xhaka was given a seven, with Arsenal writer Kaya Kaynak saying: "The Swiss international is often maligned for his defensive capabilities, but there were several occasions when Xhaka did well to stop Palace counter attacks with a few nifty interceptions. Was assured on the ball as well and had a solid game overall."
Speaking ahead of another Premier League clash on Monday night against Newcastle, an enthusiastic Arteta lauded Xhaka's leadership skills and praised his improvement over the past few weeks.
"After the red card with the history he had he was in a difficult place," he said.
"We had to try to bring him back where we believed he can be and should be, which is being one of the leaders in the team.
"And as you mentioned giving us this stability and presence that he can provide to the team and the club.
"I think since he's been back he's been phenomenal, he's playing really, really well. He's still a player who can evolve and it's great for us to have him back."
