Arsenal Vs Chelsea: Who Should Granit Xhaka Replace?

Fans and analysts have been calling for Granit Xhaka to start when Arsenal host Chelsea this weekend, but who should the £35 million man replace?

When a player is signed for £35 million, it is almost inevitable that they will start whenever they are fit. That is especially true for Arsenal, a club that have not invested heavily whatsoever in the transfer market. Imagine the surprise, then, when Granit Xhaka, Arsene Wenger’s latest midfield addition, was placed on the bench for three consecutive games.

The first was at home to Southampton. Coming off the international break there are often some surprise team selections due to the fatigue felt from long travels and physical games and with Paris Saint-Germain looming on the horizon, it was easily conceivable to believe that Wenger was resting his star man.

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Then, however, Xhaka once again sat on the bench against said PSG game while the Arsenal midfield was overrun by the French champion’s fluid, athletic trio of Blaise Matuidi, Adrien Rabiot and Marco Verratti. Another surprise which was compounded once more by being left out the starting lineup at the weekend against Hull City.

While expectations of him starting all three games are perhaps a tad naive, it is a huge shock that a £35 million addition missed all three games without any injuries that we know of. This weekend Arsenal face a physically imposing, strong and powerful Chelsea side who will look to overpower the central midfield area through the athletic ability of Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante.

It would make sense, then, for Xhaka to start on Saturday to provide a much-needed physical presence, but who should he replace?

It ultimately comes down to the duo of Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla. If Xhaka is to play, he will usurp one of the two deeper-lying midfielders. For the season, I would expect to see the Swiss international play alongside Cazorla, blending their physical and technical abilities, giving the side a balance between ball-playing and ball-winning midfielders.

However, on Saturday, if Xhaka is to regain his starting role, it should be for Cazorla and alongside Coquelin. The Frenchman has been a revelation since breaking into the team almost two seasons ago – though a rather worrying development is his decreasing defensive discipline as he marauds forward far too frequently – and pairing him with Xhaka against Chelsea would provide the Gunners with a pair that could match the physicality of Matic and Kante.

Will Xhaka start? Well, after he played a full 90 minutes midweek with neither Cazorla nor Coquelin playing whatsoever, I highly doubt it. That is a great shame and could cost the team this weekend. But in Arsene we trust, right?

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