Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka scored a superb free-kick against Chelsea in yesterday’s Boxing Day victory.
The Switzerland international’s well-taken long-range effort helped Arsenal to a 3-1 win over Chelsea, and it also gave the Gunners their first free-kick goal against the Blues in 16 years.
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See below as Opta Joe tweet that Xhaka’s free-kick goal was Arsenal’s first against Chelsea since Thierry Henry scored from a set piece in a game back in 2004…
2004 – Granit Xhaka is the first Arsenal player to score a direct free-kick versus Chelsea in the Premier League since Thierry Henry in December 2004. Cracker.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2020
It’s always a useful option for a club to have, and for all Xhaka’s flaws, he can strike a ball very well from long range.
The 28-year-old has had his problems throughout his four years at the Emirates Stadium, but he has tended to put in some strong big-game performances.
Xhaka might not be perfect, but he often redeems himself with some quality goals against the big sides, and this came at the perfect time for Arsenal as they badly needed a big-game victory to lift the mood in their squad.