Do we need yet another keeper?

This transfer window got us all like “we killed it”. Unfortunately, City gave us a reality check. On paper, we have a very good squad. It is just mediocre on the pitch. Cech’s passing game last season was a travesty. He also made some big mistakes. So what did we do? We signed Bernd Leno from Leverkusen. He came for around 22 million. But so far, he hasn’t featured in any competitive game.

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Leno’s distribution is outstanding; we know that for sure. We also know that he is a very good shot-stopper. He has shown his ability against Schalke and many other top teams. Oblak wasn’t a starter at first; he had to wait until Moya was injured. And Leno will, no doubt, impress when his time comes. He will need time to adapt to a new league of course: new language, different game, culture, and many more. But I think he can handle it. Cech isn’t getting any younger, and his powers are fading. His shot stopping abilities are on the decline, and his passing game is terrible at best.

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In the game against city, we all wondered had Leno started. Cech is a terrible passer, but that was okay in the past. We were under so much pressure, since Cech couldn’t pick out a pass. What if Leno had started? There were so many 3 vs 3 situations had Cech seen them and picked out a pass. But what he did was almost score an own goal. To be fair to Cech, he had some quality saves, but that isn’t enough at a top club like Arsenal.

We still have a few months until January, and until then we should see Leno perform. My bet is that he will rise to the occasion. If not, we have the January window to sign a yet another keeper.

Xhaka Still Continues To Divide Opinion

In 2016, Wenger opted to sign Granit Xhaka instead of N’golo Kante. They both came for almost the same price, and at the time Xhaka seemed to be the better bargain. He seemed to do the impossible-pin-point long balls to his teammates, was solid defensively, and he was his club’s youngest captain. He seemed to be an upgrade to Coquelin who was only a destroyer at the middle of the park at that time. Coquelin had a limited skill set. Generally, Xhaka’s arrival was necessary for a team who lacked steel in their midfield. He seemed to be an upgrade on Coquelin.

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In the 2016/17 season, Coquelin put in a season average of 2.5 tackles and 1.8 interceptions. That was quite impressive, but that was all Coquelin seemed to do. A season average of 0.5 key passes, 1.1 long balls, and 0 through balls is alarming. In the 2015/16 season, Xhaka produced a whopping 2.5 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per game. A season average of 7.4 long balls, 0.8 key passes, and 0.1 through balls is certainly an upgrade. And to be fair to Xhaka, there are a lot of aspects of his game that numbers don’t show. His lofted balls to fullbacks are priceless to a team who has lacked a bit of directness and width. Bellerin’s attacking game is great because of Xhaka, and the same is true for Kolasinac’s and Monreal’s attacking games. His control of the game is also great. He puts in decent defensive work, and, most importantly, if Wenger decided to spend 30-36 million on Xhaka, he must be special.

In his first season at Arsenal Xhaka was quite decent to be fair; he got 2.4 tackles and 1.3 interceptions. He has made some big mistakes in big games. He’s no Coquelin but he brought another dimension to Arsenal. He was physical, great in the air, and he was a good shooter from distance. But he had his weaknesses to his game as does any other player. He is very slow and sometimes loses the ball in risky areas. He had the tendency to get sent off. In Borussia Monchengladbach, his flaws were complemented by pairing him with Dahoud, now at BVB. They were a great pair in the double pivot. Xhaka did not have to cover as much ground as he does now, and his team played to his strengths.

In the 2017/18 season, Xhaka has refined his game. He got booked less and improved his defensive game and overall game. He under-performed when it mattered the most. But it really wasn’t his fault. He is simply not a holding midfielder; he is a deep-lying play-maker. He may not be fleet-footed like Wilshere or ubiquitous as Ramsey, but he does know how to get the ball forward. Arsenal is not the same team without him. They lack penetration. His lofted balls are an asset to the team especially when they play with teams who park the bus. He also offers good protection for a CM, to be honest; not a lot of CM’s can surpass Xhaka’s defensive contribution. The problem is when he is compared to the true DM’s. He is no Kante or Ndidi when it comes to destroying the attacks, but Kante and Ndidi don’t come even close to his playmaking abilities.

It is fair to say Xhaka could do better, but he isn’t being helped by his manager. There is a reason why he plays better for Switzerland than he does for Arsenal. He doesn’t have a true defensive midfielder alongside him at Arsenal. This season we might see some promise, as we have signed a true defensive midfielder in the form of Lucas Torreira. And we have seen glimpses of what may be the new Xhaka when he plays alongside Torreira. Maybe, just maybe, we may have got the better bargain. But for the time being, he continues to divide opinion.

Michael B Getaneh