Granit Xhaka sees no reason to fear his mounting burden of games ahead of the World Cup with Arsenal targeting the Premier League’s top spot during club football’s month long break.
With four Premier League fixtures to be played between now and the departure of Xhaka and many others to Qatar, Arsenal hold a four point lead at the top of the table. Sunday brings a trip to Southampton and the start of what is a relatively favorable run of top flight matches, with the obvious exception of their visit to Chelsea at the start of November.
Few expected Arsenal to be anywhere near the Premier League summit as the first third of the season approaches completion, keeping hold of top spot throughout the World Cup would offer an almighty fillip to Mikel Arteta’s side.
“It has to be [the aim],” said Xhaka after Thursday’s 1-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in the Europa League. “When you are there you have to be there as long as possible in this place. I think if we have the chance to stay there where we are at the moment and the World Cup comes, maybe it is a good break for everyone, maybe for us as well, to prepare something else for January.”
The 30 year old has been something of an iron man for Arsenal this season, starting every game bar last week’s win at Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League, a match where Arteta turned to him for the final 30 minutes of an underwhelming team display. Arsenal’s match winner this week, with the first goal he has scored with his right foot since joining the club, Xhaka seems unlikely to drop out of the side that will face Southampton on Sunday either.
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Source : cbssports
