Arsenal: The 3 most improved players under Mikel Arteta

1. Granit Xhaka

I never thought that come the end of the season I’d be saying this, but I love Granit Xhaka. He has been by far and away the most improved player this season, which is crazy considering it was only at the beginning of the season where he was stripped of his captaincy after reacting angirly to fans booing him off the pitch.

It takes a great sportsman to recognise an error in judgement and not only to apologise for it but to fix it. Xhaka has done exactly that and he deserves all the credit in the world for his glowup.

Heading into this season, Xhaka’s main problems were his defensive ability and his discipline, as too often he would dive into reckless challenges and get himself a yellow card or even sent off. While he has picked up 13 yellow cards, Xhaka hasn’t been sent off once this season.

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He’s improved his defensive abilities massively. So much so that in the match against Manchester City, it seemed like he was the sole reason why the Gunners kept a clean sheet, as he was constantly getting in the box and preventing the likes of Kevin De Bruyne from having a sniff at goal.

I’m certain that working under Arteta is no coincidence. After all, the Spanish boss knows a thing or two about how to become a successful midfielder at Arsenal. Let’s just hope that he can do the same with Matteo Guendouzi if the Gunners decide to keep him…

Which player do you think deserves the award of most improved player at Arsenal?