Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit has heaped praise on to Granit Xhaka after his superb form this season.
The Switzerland international has arguably been the most improved player in the Premier League with some eye-catching displays from midfield for Mikel Arteta’s side, having not so long ago looked like his future would surely lie away from the Emirates Stadium.
Xhaka notably got into a row with Arsenal fans when they jeered him on the pitch and he responded by gesturing back to them in a game against Crystal Palace a few years ago.
At that point, Xhaka was stripped of the captaincy and it didn’t look like there would be any way back for him at Arsenal, but he’s now showing some of his best form in a red and white shirt.
Petit is hugely impressed with how Xhaka has turned things around for himself, and has praised the 30-year-old as looking like the symbol of the club under Arteta.
Petit exclusively told Ladbrokes: Fanzone: “He’s (Arteta) completely transformed so many players, as well. The first name that springs to mind for me is Granit Xhaka. He’s a survivor. The difference in him compared to where he was a couple of years ago; it’s night and day, it’s ice and fire. For me, he’s the definition of what it takes to be a sportsman.
“You have to be a fighter, you have to be a warrior, sometimes against opponents, but also against teammates and managers, the press, fans, sometimes you’re in a really negative environment and it can be a real test of your mentality.
“This guy had both knees on the floor, his head down and his time at the club looked to be over. The way he’s come back from that, and the way he’s almost reinvented his game, for me he’s the symbol of Arsenal Football Club under Mikel Arteta.”