Form of Granit Xhaka highlights new Arsenal problem for Unai Emery to address

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Arsenal fought back valiantly against Tottenham on Sunday to earn a share of the spoils from a 2-2 draw. Goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang cancelled out Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane strikes.

The Gunners have made a pretty decent start to the season. Seven points from their four games offer hope that this season can be a good one for Unai Emery.

Some problems still remain, however.

At the start of the summer, all the furore among Gunners was the massive void at centre-back. David Luiz signed from Chelsea to somewhat ease that issue.

Some cited the need for a left-back, with Nacho Monreal – now-departed – not getting any younger. Kieran Tierney’s arrival from Celtic answered those critics.

Dani Ceballos’ arrival from Real Madrid on loan added creativity; whilst Nicolas Pepe joining from Lille came out of the blue.

A sizeable problem is emerging for the Gunners, however, in the shape of Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka.

Form

The 26-year-old should be the older head that leads by example. The strap adorned on his bicep right now is proving pointless as his performances decline considerably.

Take Sunday for example. Trailing 1-0 against fierce rivals, Arsenal needed a cool head. One that showed composure from his position that marshals the back four and cuts out any midfield advances.

Instead, Arsenal got rash, clumsy and calamitous as Xhaka flew into Son Heung-min inside the penalty area, leaving Martin Atkinson with no choice but to point to the penalty spot.

Luckily the Gunners have players made of sterner stuff these days. A two-goal deficit with last season’s squad might have proved unassailable, but Xhaka’s team-mates bailed him out on this occasion.

The problem is staring Emery in the face, however. His defensive concerns are easing but Xhaka is quickly becoming a liability.

During his time at the Emirates Stadium, Emery has proved he isn’t afraid to make big calls.

Another one could soon be on the horizon when it comes to Xhaka.