Xhaka enlists Ceballos for unlikely redemption story

As Unai Emery’s brief tenure at the Emirates came to a close, there is a clear defining moment that, despite his imminent exit, lingered long afterwards. In late October of 2019 Arsenal had surrendered a two-goal lead at home to Crystal Palace when the Spaniard chose to replace recently appointed skipper Granit Xhaka with 18-year-old Bukayo Saka. The decision was met largely by cheers from the home supporters.

This was not the first time that Emery had made such a move, nor the first time it had inspired such a reaction from the crowd. However, this time it was too much for the Swiss midfielder, who responded angrily as the cheers directed at him quickly turned to boos. While some defended his actions, the scene became a symbol of the toxic atmosphere at the Emirates and there seemed little chance of a warm reunion between player and fans, even when Emery was succeeded by Mikel Arteta in December.

Almost exactly nine months since Xhaka’s infamous exit, he and the supporters are celebrating the club’s 14th FA Cup triumph following a 2-1 win over Chelsea at Wembley (their second in four years). A season that had threatened to unravel with an early exit from the Europa League and an eighth-placed league finish has instead ended with silverware and a return to European football. Furthermore, Xhaka has played every minute of the last three rounds in the cup; Kieran Tierney and Ainsley Maitland-Niles are the only other outfield players with such a claim for the Gunners.

Those events last October have not been forgotten, but it would appear that all parties have chosen to forgive and look forward. There are several reasons for this. Arteta’s return has brought a new wave of optimism to the Emirates, and he (and the players) have been afforded patience. Another piece of silverware has done that no harm. On a less warm note, David Luiz has emerged as a new scapegoat following several high-profile errors, particularly since the restart. Lastly, but by no means least, Xhaka’s performances have notably improved of late (whether this will continue once fans return to the stadiums, we will have to wait and see).

The Swiss midfielder, no longer adorning the captain’s armband, has formed a formidable partnership with Real Madrid loanee Dani Ceballos in recent weeks. The Gunners have won six of their eight games since the restart in which the two have played 70 or more minutes (75%). In contrast, they have only won two of the other five (40%), losing three; in one of those two victories, Ceballos appeared as a substitute to score a later winner against Sheffield United and sent his side to the FA Cup semi-finals.

It speaks volumes that, shortly after Xhaka picked up a caution against Watford on the Premier League final day, fans flocked to Twitter calling for Arteta to remove him, should he receive another yellow card and miss the cup final through suspension. It says even more that his manager trusted him to complete the full 90 minutes, and that the Swiss repaid that faith by avoiding any challenges after the break.

While Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will rightly take the plaudits after his brace in the final, the contribution of Arsenal’s midfielders should not go ignored. Xhaka and Ceballos attempted 83 passes between them, with 69 finding their man. In an identical formation, counterparts Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic completed 110 of their 120 passes for Chelsea. While at first glance these figures may paint the Arsenal duo in a bad light, the reality is far from it. Arteta’s plan was to find the forwards with long balls from the back line, rather than play through midfield. As such, Xhaka and Ceballos were simply tasked with retaining and recycling possession; the former won both of his aerial duels, while no player won more tackles than the latter (three). In contrast, Chelsea’s midfielders were ineffective in delivering their forwards the ball in dangerous positions, and did little to win back the ball (just five times between them). Following Kovacic’s dismissal, replacement Ross Barkley made just 8 passes in 20 minutes and received a booking of his own.

While deserved winners, Arsenal cannot claim that their victory did not come without good fortune. How would things have differed had Azpilicueta decided to foul Aubameyang outside the area, rather than inside? What if the Chelsea captain had not then been forced from the field after just 35 minutes through a muscle strain? Pulisic could have well doubled his tally for the afternoon at 1-1, rather than Aubameyang, had he not too pulled up with an untimely injury when through on goal. A recently revived Willian was not even fit enough to replace the American, while the chosen substitute, Pedro, too succumbed to injury in added time as the Blues pushed for an equaliser. Another referee might not have shown Kovacic a second yellow card, reducing Lampard’s side to ten men shortly after they had gone behind.

It was Xhaka who drew the fouls from the Croatian for both of his bookings. Many would have been unsurprised to see the Swiss go into the book for similar challenges a few months ago, but in fact he made just one foul throughout the game, one of only two committed by the Gunners. Although he has been Arsenal’s most carded player this season, it has now been three and a half years since he last received his marching orders in club colours, following two red cards in his first six months in London.

This FA Cup triumph, along with the Europa League participation that comes with it, will give the Gunners much-needed funds for the upcoming transfer market. This result could mean that the Gunners can move to secure Ceballos’ services for another season, or perhaps beyond. The London side are also linked with Atletico’s Thomas Partey. Should Arteta bring in either midfielder from Madrid, it would signal a significant coup for a side that have struggled to find balance in the centre of the park for a number of years. Whoever signs, though, will likely find themselves deployed alongside Xhaka, and not instead of him.

Of course, this is not a convenient end to a simple story. Xhaka has had good games for Arsenal in the past and, provided he stays beyond the summer as looks likely, he will have bad games again. However, tonight he has his second FA Cup winners’ medal – as many as his predecessors Gilberto Silva, Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere won (as well as Arteta), and one more than Cesc Fabregas earned in eight years at the club. Rather than the climax to a redemption story, this feels like the start of a new chapter.

Stats via WhoScored.