Granit Xhaka believes Arsenal can still win the Premier League despite being at a disadvantage in the championship race after losing to Aston Villa last weekend.
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The 0-2 defeat at home to Emirates left coach Mikel Arteta’s team currently ranked second in the Premier League, 2 points behind top team Man City and with 6 games left in hand. Victory over Wolves on Sunday morning will help the Gunners temporarily take top spot in the table and Xhaka urged his former team not to give up after two consecutive defeats.
“This is part of the season ,” the Bayer Leverkusen player said: “I remember Arsenal being unbeaten for 10 or 11 matches, so a loss doesn’t mean losing everything. There are 6 matches left in the Premier League so the chance to win the championship is still there. I wish them all the best because I still support them, I still keep in touch with the staff and players there.”
When asked if Arsenal could not win the Premier League this season but could win the Premier League in the coming seasons, Xhaka replied: “I hope so because I think everyone there deserves to win the title. Whether they improve this year or last year is the same, but in football every small detail will make the difference. I hope they continue to improve and win glory soon.”
Meanwhile, Xhaka and Bayer Leverkusen are one step closer to completing the treble this season after overcoming West Ham in the quarterfinals of the Europa League early this morning. The win over David Moyes’s side saw Xabi Alonso’s team now unbeaten in 44 matches in all competitions – a new record set by a club in Europe’s top 5 leagues.
Xhaka expressed that the whole team does not want to lose when this season ends, concluding: “If we get to this stage, of course everyone wants to maintain the record. We know we need to win the Europa League and we cannot lose. We won the Bundesliga last weekend but are still hungry to achieve many exciting things. There are 5 more games left, with Dortmund on Sunday, we have to keep winning, keep the faith and do what we’re doing. Let’s see what happens at the end of the season.”
The decision to leave Arsenal to join Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2023 is considered a step backward for Xhaka, but up to this point he is proving the opposite. The Swiss midfielder runs tirelessly, takes care of the midfield and shows his role as the leader of the team.
