Xabi Alonso clone man this guys passes are on point. I know I go ott in regards to Theo, but having Xhaka on the pitch makes Theo look a lot more effective tbh.
Can see him getting better and better
Hopefully Perez is truly the Spanish Vardy because that could be a good weapon with Xhaka hitting those long diagonals.
Much better today - showed me signs of why I should be excited about him. Great to see.
Wenger knew what he was doing signing him over Kante such a classy passer of the ball
Kante is a monster tbf. Xhaka hasnât convinced me much until today, but Kante looks class every time I have seen him. I wouldnât say we got the better deal just yet.
Xhaka suits Arsenal more and Kante suits Chelsea more imo
Iâd agree with that, but so far Kante has proven a LOT more in the Premier League than Xhaka.
I like the fact that Xhaka has that sort of passing eye and ability though (long-range) and I hope he is a revelation for us. If Mustafi and Xhaka are top class and Perez is useful out wide, we could do some damage this year.
Bravo Xhaka. Happy he got the start despite at the beginning of the day Coquelin was getting the start ahead of him. This performance was good, the long balls are going to be a huge asset if theyâre this consistently accurate. His YouTube videos from Gladbach sending long passes was nice to see, but seeing it on display today was nice!
Real assured presence in the midfield. Calm on the ball, always looking to pass ahead, very accurate with his long balls. What I liked about him the most was it felt like he was doing just enough to keeping things under control, a very economical performance. Didnât feel like a Coquelin who is all full of running and tackling and usually, by the end of a game, looks like he has been in a battle. Xhaka on the other hand is more controlled, more intelligent with how he expends energy and looks like he has a lot more in the tank at the end of the game.
Heâs simply new to the team and has to get to know his teammates and his new managerâs wishes. Nothing to do with pace.
Really composed performance from him and a comfortable win really to top off his full debut. Itâs a start but heâll be facing tougher opposition than Watfordâs fairly docile approach, then weâll see how well he can deal with the intricacies of the game.
If that is a typical performance of him then we have a great-all-round midfielder, akin to that of a Xabi/Arteta; who can really set the tempo, recycling the ball, staying deep and distributing some fantastic balls across the field giving us a totally new element at Arsenal. This is what I thought Ramsey would turn into as a young fledgling.
The more he plays, gains confidence and understands the team, heâll be the lynch pin to our midfield fairly soon I reckon.
Give the bloke a chance, Lung. Kante, one season. Xhaka, one game.
Absolutely will. Just saying that Kante is proven and Xhaka not yet⌠and so far, I have been a little underwhelmed with Xhakaâs first touch and mobility. However, in this last game he was quite good and showed flashes of his long-range passing ability.
I wouldnât call one season proven by any stretch of the imagination but since he plays for Chelsea now I guess one season is enough.
This guy will be a titan for us no question.
All this talk of Xabi Alonso 2.0 are on the money but heâs much more aggressive, you need guys like this in the team who not only have the quality but are tough bastards to boot. So much composure and heâs one of the youngest on the field, even younger than Jack.
Quality signing.
Give me a break. He was one of the best players in the league. The MVP of the title winner and a team that had no business getting that high. It was one season, yes. But FFS engage your brain - he was awesome that year. Maybe he wonât fit into Chelsea as well or have issues there, but he was immense that year and is a quality, quality footballer.
This guy is a pass fucking master of the highest calibre. Assuming he doesnât turn out to be a nutter that picks up 20+ yellows or 5 reds a season, he should be nailing down one of those midfield berths. Just about who you pair him with, for me.
Jack who? Not looking good son.
Just has to cut out the air tackles - he goes down way too early way too easily and misses everything⌠I reckon he will improve that and certainly has passing in his locker.
Kante was brilliant for Chelsea yesterday, Make no mistake he wonât be flopping.
Xhaka suits us more but you can still say Kante is and will be a brilliant signing for Chelsea.
Agreed Rob. Cazorla Elneny and Coquelin all fighting for that one spot. We have actual midfield depth for once!!