I saw 25-year-old Arsenal player prove that selling Granit Xhaka wasn’t a mistake tonight

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It proved to be another incredibly dominant display for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side against Sheffield United tonight.

There wasn’t a poor performance in an Arsenal shirt, and Arteta is now consistently seeing his side win ruthlessly when they score an early goal.

Arsenal are now bearing the fruits of their excellent summer recruitment with both Kai Havertz and Declan Rice now playing key roles respectively.

And whilst the deal for Rice was rarely ever questioned, Arteta’s decision to bring Havertz to the club did cause a lot of controversy in the early months.

Similarly, a lot of fans just simply couldn’t understand why the club decided to let Granit Xhaka leave for Bayer Leverkusen after such a strong season.

However, with Declan Rice now directly contributing to 10 goals in a Premier League season after his goal and assist tonight, for the first time in his career, he’s proved that Arteta knew exactly what he was doing.

Rice, who has played as a number six for almost the entirety of his career, now looks like an incredible option at the left central midfield role, and Jorginho’s introduction has given him so much more freedom.

Mikel Arteta had a vision for Declan Rice at Arsenal, and Sheff United display proved it

It does all have to be put in context, particularly against a poor Sheffield United team this evening, but Rice now gives Arsenal so much tactical flexibility.

It seemed as if Granit Xhaka did want to leave Arsenal in the end, and Arteta was right not to stand in his way.

He clearly knew that Rice could thrive as a number eight on the left, even if he was renowned as one of the world’s best in the pivot.

And with Thomas Partey soon set to return to full fitness, Arsenal’s midfield will be more than formidable.

Arteta will be respectful and muted in his reaction from tonight’s rampant win against Sheffield United, but he’ll know his Arsenal side have turned a corner.

There’s a certain swagger and ruthlessness that’s seeping through the whole squad, just look at how Jakub Kiwior is performing right now.

And as we approach some very important games, there’s every reason for optimism.

All that being said, both Ian Wright and Jamal Musiala have also been celebrating the success of a young Arsenal player out on loan.