Rodri might have led Spain to Euro 2024 victory while picking up the Player of the Tournament award, but another standout midfielder at EURO 2024 was Granit Xhaka. The Swiss captain had another stellar European Championship, being named Man of the Match in 2 of his 5 games. Despite facing tough teams like Germany, Italy, and England, Switzerland didn't lose in regulation or extra time and made it to the quarterfinals, only getting knocked out on penalties. Xhaka's impressive performance wasn't a shocker since he always steps up in this competition. The Bayer Leverkusen star has earned Man of the Match honours 5 times across 3 Euro tournaments—the third highest in history, just behind Andrés Iniesta (Spain) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), who both have 6 apiece. While the Swiss team includes some outstanding talents like goalkeeper Yann Sommer, defenders Fabian Schär, Ricardo Rodriguez and Manuel Akanji and exciting attackers Ruben Vargas and Breel Embolo Granit Xhaka was the glue that held the team together. **Overview of Xhaka’s Time At Arsenal** Over the past year, there’s been a deeper appreciation for Granit Xhaka and what he brings to a football team. It’s no coincidence that this has come after he left Arsenal and England where he was under constant scrutiny - most of them, unfair. In fact, in late 2019, he was famously stripped of his captaincy just 5 weeks into that role after clashing with the fans and telling them to “**** off!”. Xhaka spent 7 years at Arsenal, winning two FA Cups with the club, and while he remained a polarizing figure, his final season at the club, where he had a significant jump in his productivity in the final third with 9 goals and 7 assists as Arsenal made a title charge, laid the foundations for his first season at Bayer Leverkusen. **Xhaka’s Historic Season At Leverkusen** How many players can claim to have a transformational effect on a club? Xhaka can. His debut season at Bayer Leverkusen went better than he would have dreamed of. Under the coaching of Xabi Alonso, one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, Xhaka replicated the role that Alonso himself played so well during his playing days. This worked to perfection as they only lost one of their 53 games all season and ended a run of 31 years without a title. Leverkusen were the darlings of the football neutrals and the online betting community who profited from their fabulous run. They won a DFB Pokal and Bundesliga double, going unbeaten across both competitions, and their 3-0 loss in the Europa League final stopped them from having what would have been an unprecedented unbeaten treble season. Ahead of their curtain-raiser next month, one of our betting tips is for Bayer Leverkusen to win the DFL-Super Cup and as always, we have the best odds for that:
For his outstanding season in 2023/24, Granit Xhaka was named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season and the UEFA Europa League Team of the Season. Finally, the football world recognized him as one of the premier players in his position. Of course, this incredible achievement predictably led to jokes about ex-Arsenal players lifting titles for fun after leaving the Gunners. **Ex-Gunners Enjoying Success** The joke about Arsenal players leaving the club and finding success didn’t start until the mid-2000s. Before that, Arsenal was one of the top destinations for elite talent heading to England. Top players like Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira, and Emmanuel Petit were drawn to North London, and Sol Campbell even made the controversial switch from Tottenham, which is often considered the most shocking transfer in Premier League history. These players thrived in England, and while they never captured a European title with the Gunners, they still found plenty of success in the Premier League and FA Cup, highlighted by that unforgettable 2004 Invincible Season. Things changed when Arsenal moved to their brand-new stadium in 2006. In the seasons prior and after that move, the club struggled to compete in the transfer market because of the massive financial commitment of constructing the Emirates Stadium. This period also coincided with Billionaire Roman Abramovich’s arrival at Chelsea, who soon brought in Jose Mourinho, kicking off a new era in the Premier League. Arsenal shifted their transfer strategy away from buying established players to focus on young, promising players, hoping to develop them. This smart move brought in talents like Cesc Fàbregas, Robin van Persie, Gaël Clichy, Samir Nasri, and Alex Song at low costs. Despite remaining competitive and consistently finishing in the Top Four, they couldn’t match the financial power of their rivals, and trophies were scarce. As expected, these nurtured Arsenal players became stars and, eventually, frustrated stars. The first big names to leave weren’t the young players, however, but the vets. Ashley Cole left for Chelsea and club icon Thierry Henry moved to Barcelona, both of whom won the Champions League with their new teams—a title that Arsenal never secured. Other players who found success after leaving included Mathieu Flamini (Serie A Champion in 2011), Alexander Hleb (La Liga and UCL winner with Barcelona), Eduardo (four-time Ukrainian Premier League winner with Shakhtar Donetsk), Gaël Clichy (two-time league champion with Man City), and Samir Nasri (also a two-time league champion with Man City). However, the departures that hurt the most were those of Cesc Fàbregas and Robin van Persie. As youngsters, Cesc Fàbregas and Robin van Persie had lifted the FA Cup with the Gunners in 2005, and knew what success tasted like at the club early. As they developed into world-class talents, both the club and its fans hoped they would lead Arsenal back to its glory days. However, after years of disappointment, it was clear Fabregas and van Persie didn’t share this sentiment and had lost faith in the Arsenal project. So, they moved away. Fabregas left for Barcelona, where he won six titles, including La Liga and the FIFA Club World Cup. When he came back to London in 2014, he didn’t “come back home”, instead he joined Arsenal’s rival, Chelsea, and won two league titles and an FA Cup with them. While Robin van Persie didn't win as much silverware as Fabregas after leaving, some say his departure stung more. He led Manchester United to a record 20th league title and famously returned to the Emirates Stadium to a guard of honour, having already secured the title before that match.
**How Long Will This Joke Go On For?** With the current trajectory? Not long. For the first time in two decades, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for the Gunners. Under the guidance of Mikel Arteta, they have put together two impressive league challenges which may have ended in disappointment but have provided a foundation for the future. In the market, Arsenal can now compete financially with their rivals as evident by the £210m spent on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurien Timber last summer. Also, with rising transfer fees, the club and its fans can be confident that other big teams would need to spend a fortune to snatch away stars like Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and Martin Ødegaard. It's not just about buying and keeping players, though—there's also the giant obstacle that is Manchester City. Pep Guardiola has led City to four consecutive Premier League titles and six in the last seven years, a dominance that surpasses even Sir Alex Ferguson’s era at Manchester United. However, the upcoming season could be different. Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne are still great players, but their best days are behind them. Julián Álvarez is reportedly unhappy with his role and has turned down contract extensions. There are also rumours that Bernardo Silva and goalkeeper Ederson might leave this summer, with multiple bids already sent in for the latter. With Liverpool and Chelsea hiring new managers and Manchester United undergoing a mini squad overhaul, Arsenal is the only top team in England with some stability heading into the next season. Our bet of the day is that they will finally end their 21-year wait for a Premier League title.
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