‘Signing of the season’ – how Xhaka has taken Sunderland to top four

Granit Xhaka, the captain of Sunderland, was given the title of the season before making his most significant contribution so far.

The Black Cats could not have imagined how well it would turn out when they signed the now 33-year-old from Bayer Leverkusen for £13 million in the summer.

Sunderland drew 1-1 at home against Everton, which restored them to the top four of the Premier League, thanks to the midfielder’s effort from outside the box.

A quarter of the way through the season, the promoted side will be able to earn a Champions League spot.

Before the game, ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports, “He must be the signing of the season.”

“Is there anyone in the Premier League who has a significant impact anywhere?” Not surprisingly.”

In almost every way, Xhaka leads his Sunderland team-mates.

However, how consistently high-ranked he is in every category in terms of statistics is very impressive.

Only three players combined have three assists, with only three (those with four) more. Only two players have created more chances from set-plays than his nine, and he is joint-11th in the department.

Only Marcos Senesi (56) has completed more long passes than Xhaka’s (52) among outfielders.

Senesi’s 138 attempts were offset by 87 long passes by the Swiss.

He leads all other players in passes (552) and balls into the box (566), and his team won (49).

And he now has a goal, his first in the Premier League since 2022-23 when he scored twice against Wolves in his final game against Arsenal.

He’s very significant because this league has a lot of young players and new faces, manager Regis Le Bris said.

They are unaware of the condition, and one player like Granit, who has had a lot of experience, is very significant to us. He has this ability to excel.

“I’m happy to have this player,” she said. He has a passion for football, is competitive, has a strong sense of community, and sets the standard.

Jonny Evans, the former Sunderland defender, stated on Sky Sports, “He is the only player with real experience on the team.”

Xhaka, who has played for Arsenal from 2016 until 2023, is currently in his second year here in England.

In their unbeaten domestic campaign from 2023 to 2024, he then won the title under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen.

The Leverkusen boss, Erik ten Hag, resisted selling Xhaka this summer.

Ten Hag was fired a few weeks into the season after the midfielder left for Sunderland.

You never know where you land, said Xhaka, “but I didn’t expect to come back after Germany.”

“It made me happy to be back.” I understood that the project would provide experience for the guys every day.

“I’m happy to score a goal,” I thought.

At Arsenal, Xhaka was a bit of a pantomine villain and occasionally much mocked.

He had a six-week spell as the Gunners’ captain in 2019, clashed with his own fans, and was stripped of his armband. He was also sent off five times for the Gunners.

However, things improved under Mikel Arteta, who eventually left for Germany in 2023.

After going through that at Arsenal, Carragher showed great character and bounced back from that. He will be remembered for a very long time if he can join a Sunderland team that finishes in the top 10 or even just stays up.

Marco Gabbiadini, a former Sunderland striker, described him as “a top professional.”

You sometimes thought he was a bit of a villain when he was a player for Arsenal. We have seen him grow and develop over the years.

“We saw a slightly restrained version of Xhaka,” according to the report from Arsenal, but it’s actually better than the fully committed, blowing steam out of his ears type of player.

He is “a little bit more measured, calmer, and a better professional.” Everyone believes in him, and having him in your squad is a talisman, especially when you have a young squad.