Granit Xhaka has experienced a turbulent year at Arsenal, but the midfielder's fortunes seem to have largely changed since Mikel Arteta's appointment.
The Spaniard took over from Unai Emery in December and appeared intent on restoring balance to the Gunners.
Arteta was initially very speculative when addressing the happenings at Arsenal and how exactly he would tackle certain situations, stating: "I want to start working with the players. I want to look at their eyes, start to feel the environment and the culture around the club to know what is going on."
Around one week later, the Gunners boss was asked about Xhaka, responding: "I really like him. I think the way we want to play, we'll get him on board, he can be a tremendous player for the football club. His quality on the ball, his range of pass."
Two months have passed since the change in regime and it's becoming evident why Arteta was so keen to revitalise the Swiss midfielder.
Xhaka played the full match against Everton on Sunday, and his passing display was something to behold.
The 27-year old completed the most passes on the pitch with 61 but crucially, he was able to instigate to offensive moves rather than solely opting to play safe.
Xhaka's passing network from the contest is pictured below, and it captures the variety of his contributions as well as his ability to have an influence on the whole pitch rather than an isolated area.
The Swiss international demonstrated a clear intent to switch the play to whichever flank was the least occupied by the opposition.
Nicolas Pepe was often the receiver of those passes, allowing him to drive at his opponent before dribbling, as shown below.
For Arsenal's third goal of the match in particular, Xhaka assumed control over the ball in the middle of the pitch and with his second touch, he played a forward pass to the feet of Mesut Ozil, who quickly fed Pepe.
The Ivorian wide man then delivered a cross into the penalty box, which was headed home by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Xhaka's role in the move is likely to drift under the radar, but his performance against Carlo Ancelotti's outfit was indicative of the influence that he's set to have on Arsenal moving forward.
Providing he's afforded time, Xhaka looks set to become integral to the Gunners by orchestrating and probing from a withdrawn position and by showcasing a passing range that no other midfielder in the squad can boast.
