Midfielder’s superb FA Cup semi-final showing against Manchester City suggests a remarkable turnaround
When Granit Xhaka stalked off the pitch against Crystal Palace in October, flinging off his shirt and swearing at the fans booing him down the tunnel, it felt like the sort of yarn that normally has only one ending. And so it was no surprise to see him here nine months on, putting in a statement performance against one of the world’s great midfields in a resounding FA Cup semi-final victory at Wembley. Hang on. May have got my lines mixed up there. Will get back to you.
Perhaps we should no longer allow ourselves to be surprised by things like this. After all, players mature and wither. Form comes and goes. Momentum shifts. Stars periodically align. But as Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal improbably stared down Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City with a display of clinical, gutsy counterattacking football, it was hard not to feel quietly flabbergasted at how quickly Xhaka seems to have earned his redemption.
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