Mikel Arteta faces a test of resolve amid Granit Xhaka’s betrayal and claims of the Arsenal mutiny

Back in August, Granit Xhaka revealed how Mikel Arteta, recently appointed the club’s new manager, had been who convinced him to stay at Arsenal in December 2019.

So Xhaka became public enemy number one in the Emirates, and his north London career seemed to be about to end after the then club captain told his own fans to ‘fuck’ while he was. they booed when they replaced him against Crystal Palace. in October.

Unai Emery defended Xhaka in public, but banished the Swiss international from first-team training in a bid to quell mounting riots in the stands.

In short, the Spanish door was opened to him 12 months ago, fired by the club’s hierarchy despite having reached the final of the Europa League just seven months earlier.

Xhaka, contemplating an escape route back to Germany with Hertha BSC, held talks with Arteta, who quickly told him to get up front, roll up his sleeves, and set out to repair his relationship with the club’s fan base.

“I was very, very close to leaving the club,” Xhaka said. “But when Mikel arrived, I had a very good meeting with him, very good conversations.

“Mikel was the boy.”

The 27-year-old, in fact, played a key role in the club’s triumph in the FA Cup and its subsequent success in Community Shield.

Back in the good books of the fans, and emboldened by the faith of his coach, Xhaka insisted: “The most important thing for me is that Mikel believes in me, trusts me and I want to give this back in every training session and in every game” .

Now, however, Xhaka must produce another act of rehabilitation after being sent off in Sunday night’s 1-0 loss to Burnley, for stupidly grabbing Ashley Westwood by the throat, further exacerbated Arsenal’s mounting woes.

A season that started out full of hope and optimism, and with the head coach being effectively promoted by being appointed coach in a club restructuring, has turned into a nightmare, with the Gunners currently ranked 15th in the Premier League and having lost four consecutive home games. – his worst streak since 1959.

With a failed attack scoring just 10 times in 12 games, and a lack of confidence eating away at the full-backs, they haven’t won a league game since November 1 – 1-0 at Manchester United – taking just one point from the last. 15 on sale; Frustration has returned to the stands and Kieran Tierney’s honest assessment Sunday night said it all.

“It’s not good enough. There’s no way to disguise it. It’s terrible, to be honest.”

When asked if Xhaka had let him down at his post-match press conference, Arteta, visibly angry, positively unwilling to look directly at Zoom’s call when Xhaka’s name was mentioned, said: “You’ve made a mistake, clearly, that has cost us.

“The way the game was going, the dominance we had, we were prepared, knowing that this was a game that we clearly had to win, but with 10 men it makes it much more difficult.

“You give the opponent a chance and you end up losing on a set piece.”

When asked if Xhaka’s actions were “unacceptable”, a word Arteta had used to describe Nicolas Pepe’s firing in Leeds, Arteta replied simply: “Absolutely”.

Clearly frustrated, Arteta continued: “Yes, it is unacceptable to do that but it is because they are very willing to do more, fight more and this time Granit has exceeded.

“There is another action with Mo [Elneny], which looks similar. We cannot make that mistake because it is the wrong approach to what we are trying to do. “

Now Arteta, amid claims he is not talking to David Luiz, fired by the Brazilian, and a possible locker room riot led by outcasts Mesut Ozil and Sokratis, is under increasing pressure.

It was bad enough when they just weren’t creating opportunities and their highest paid player was simply offering frequent reminders on social media on Instagram and Twitter.

But with calls to banish Xhaka as the aforementioned duo or Matteo Guendouzi, on loan at Hertha Berlin and not used again after the aftermath of grabbing Neal Maupay by the throat in June, Arteta is facing a full-blown crisis. .

Increasingly, the former Manchester City assistant, still less than a year into his first job as a manager, is turning into an uptight and unhappy figure, one who seems to see his team’s creative woes but is struggling to do. any perceptible change in procedures while relying on the club’s senior players

Crossing has become the new vanguard of attacks, but despite his claim of “pure math” after the loss to the Wolves, the 44 deliveries that did not throw a goal at the Spurs and the last non-scorer on Sunday. night, when opportunities were seized or denied by Nick. Dad, it’s just not working.

Southampton’s arrival on Wednesday night, now fourth after their 3-0 win over Sheffield United on Sunday, is not ideal; the game will be the first of three in which Xhaka will be absent due to suspension.

But whether his absence extends beyond the suspension imposed by the Premier League and the FA, it will be up to his coach.

In that interview in September, Xhaka continued, “He [Arteta] He turned me around and gave me a second chance.

“He showed me that he trusted me and I have tried to give him everything back.”

For now, Xhaka will hope that he hasn’t run out of second chances and that Arteta still has some faith in him.

If Arteta’s trust has been irrevocably broken, the Swiss may finally find himself with no way back to North London.

That’s unless panic from above sees another Spaniard enter the Emirates exit door first.

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