Former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka stays optimistic concerning the membership’s probabilities of profitable the Premier League for the primary time in 20 years, regardless of final weekend’s disappointing defeat to Aston Villa.
The Gunners have been surprisingly crushed 2-0 on the Emirates Stadium on Sunday and crashed out of the Champions League three days later after dropping 3-2 on combination to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.
Arsenal’s defeat to Villa was all of the extra irritating as Liverpool additionally slipped up towards Crystal Palace, with the dropped factors for each handing Manchester Metropolis the benefit in a hotly-contested Premier League title race.
Mikel Arteta’s facet can get again on monitor with a win over Wolves at Molineux, and Xhaka, who departed the membership final summer time to affix newly topped Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen, is assured that Arsenal’s race just isn’t but run.
“There are six video games left within the Premier League and there’s nonetheless an enormous probability [for Arsenal] to get the Premier League title,” Xhaka mentioned (by way of the Mirror). “I want all of them the most effective for certain as a result of I’m nonetheless in touch with the workers and gamers and in addition nonetheless watching the video games.
“Can Arsenal win the title? I hope so as a result of the workforce, the workers and the soccer membership as effectively should win trophies. They’re very shut this 12 months as effectively prefer it was final 12 months however soccer is about small particulars. I hope they’ll do it.”
As for Xhaka, the 31-year-old has the prospect to win an unprecedented treble with Bayer Leverkusen, who’ve already wrapped up a first-ever Bundesliga title with 5 video games to go.
Xabi Alonso’s fees are remarkably nonetheless unbeaten in all competitions – a run they prolonged to 44 video games with a late equaliser towards West Ham United on Thursday – and are into the semi-finals of the Europa League. They’re additionally heavy favourites to win the DFB Pokal – Germany’s equal of the FA Cup – as they may tackle 2. Bundesliga outfit FC Kaiserlautern within the closing.
“To win one thing after the primary 12 months right here is all the time additional particular,” Xhaka remarked of his and Leverkusen’s achievements. “However we’re nonetheless in different competitions, we’re nonetheless within the DFB Pokal closing and the Europa League semi-finals. We all know that to win the Europa League it’s essential be formidable. We gained the league final Sunday however we nonetheless have the starvation to realize one thing else.
“I had excellent occasions in Arsenal for seven years, we have been very near profitable the Premier League final 12 months and it was not ok however I knew the philosophy behind this soccer membership and that is why I moved right here.”
