Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has backed manager Mikel Arteta to take the club forward despite letting the Premier League title slip away at the business end of the season.
Before Arteta’s arrival at Arsenal, Xhaka’s time at the club was believed to be over as he had become a fan villain. However, he has since turned around his image at the club and become a fan favourite, especially this season.
Arsenal’s title hopes vanished last weekend after losing 1-0 to now-safe Nottingham Forest at City Ground and a section of Arsenal fans and rivals blamed Arteta for Arsenal’s collapse. Xhaka, who has spent seven years at the club, thinks otherwise.
“You can forget this question; he is more than the right manager for this team. We don’t need to forget how we worked for the last 11 months. Even when we lost now in the last two games, of course, the people see what happens now, but don’t forget the 11 months we worked.” Xhaka said in a recent interview, according to Mail Sport.
Nevertheless, Xhaka admitted that their goal was to finish the season in the top four but when they got close to the title, they surely wanted to win it.
“If someone told us before the season that we will be here, I think everyone would sign it. Our goal for sure was to be back in the top four. Now we are second. Of course, when you are so close to the title you want to win the title.”
Arteta was appointed as Arsenal manager in December 2021 and has already won the FA Cup, Community Shield and has guided Arsenal to the Champions League for the first time since 2017.
Xhaka, who has been rumoured to be on his way out of Arsenal at the end of the season with Bayer Leverkusen as the speculated destination, said that Arsenal have to go and do the next step.
