6 months ago
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Granit Xhaka openly acknowledges utilizing Arsenal’s collapse in the Premier League title race last season as a cautionary tale for his high-flying Bayer Leverkusen teammates.
Having been part of an Arsenal team that spent a substantial 248 days at the top of the previous season’s Premier League table, holding an eight-point lead over Manchester City at one point, Xhaka experienced the heartbreak of falling short at the final hurdle. After leaving Arsenal for Leverkusen last summer, he now finds himself in another title battle. Leverkusen, managed by Xabi Alonso, currently enjoys a ten-point lead over Bayern Munich and remains unbeaten this season, with many tipping them for the Bundesliga title.
However, Xhaka is cautious and refrains from overconfidence, emphasizing that nothing is won yet. Reflecting on his experience with Arsenal last season, he stated, “It’s good, and we can be proud of it, but nothing is won yet. I’m speaking about my own experience of what happened last season. I think it was a similar points gap over second place, and we didn’t win the league, so I know the experience, and this is what I share with the dressing room as well.”
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Despite a considerable lead, Xhaka stresses the unpredictability of football, stating, “Of course, ten points is a lot in football when you have ten games left, but ten points when there’s another 30 points you can take, it’s not over.”
His Leverkusen teammates have turned to him for guidance on handling a title race, and Xhaka shares his insights with them. “For sure, and they know. They’re asking me day by day, ‘You’ve been in this situation as well, how was it? What happened?'” he revealed.
Attempting to convey the emotional aspect, Xhaka emphasized, “I tried to explain it, but you can’t explain with words. You have to feel it. That’s why you have to stay humble. You have to take it day by day and let’s see where we are after 34 games.”
While Leverkusen pursues Bundesliga success, Xhaka is aware of Arsenal’s current title aspirations, with Mikel Arteta’s team aiming to narrow the gap to leaders Liverpool in their upcoming clash with Sheffield United.
