Granit Xhaka, the captain of Sunderland, was dubbed the season’s best acquisition before making his most significant contribution to date.
The Black Cats could not have predicted how well things would work out when they paid £13 million to sign the now 33-year-old from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.
Sunderland returned to the top four of the Premier League with a 1-1 home draw against Everton thanks to an effort from the Switzerland midfielder that went beyond the area.
A quarter of the way through the season, that gives the promoted team a Champions League berth.
According to former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, “He must be the signing of the season,” he declared on Sky Sports following the match.
Does anyone in the Premier League have this kind of influence anywhere? Possibly not.
Following the match, Carragher went on to say, “He was excellent again, head and shoulders above almost anyone else on that pitch.” Xhaka was chosen man of the match.
How much of an influence has Xhaka had?
Xhaka holds the top spot among his Sunderland teammates in almost every metric.
However, his high ranking in the league across a wide range of statistics is extremely impressive.
There are just three players with more assists than him (all four). Only two players have created more opportunities from set plays than he has, and he is tied for eleventh place in terms of chances created.
Only Marcos Senesi, a defender for Bournemouth, has more long passes completed than Xhaka, who has 52.
To Senesi’s 138 long passes, however, the Swiss have only tried 87.
In terms of passes (552), balls into the box (56) and possessions won (49), he is among the top 20.
He now has a goal, his first in the Premier League since he scored twice against Wolves on the last day of 2022–2023 in his last game with Arsenal.
Speaking on Sky Sports, former Sunderland defender Jonny Evans stated: “He is the only player on the team with actual experience.
“He is reliable for everything. He also performs at a very high level.
Above the ‘Arsenal villain’?
Xhaka has played 297 games for Arsenal between 2016 and 2023, making this his second stint in England.
After that, he joined Bayer Leverkusen, where he helped them win the title during their undefeated domestic campaign in 2023–24 under Xabi Alonso.
Xhaka would not be moved this summer, according to Erik ten Hag, the Leverkusen manager at the time.
However, Ten Hag was fired a few weeks into the season after the midfield player left for Sunderland.
“I didn’t expect to come back after Germany but you never know where you land,” Xhaka replied.
“I was glad to be back. I was aware that I needed to show the guys day by day and contribute experience to the project.
“It makes me happy to score a goal.”
At Arsenal, Xhaka was sometimes heavily criticized and kind of a pantomine villain.
In 2019, he had six weeks as captain after being sent off five times for the Gunners, battled with his own supporters, and lost his armband.
However, under Mikel Arteta, things improved, and he rose to prominence before departing for Germany in 2023.
“He showed great character to come back from what he went through at Arsenal,” Carragher added. Because of his influence, he will live on for a very long time if he can help Sunderland place in the top 10 or even simply stay up.”
Marco Gabbiadini, a former striker for Sunderland, said on BBC Radio Newcastle: “He is the epitome of a top professional.
“You sometimes thought he was a bit of a villain when he played for Arsenal. We have watched him grow and change throughout the years.
“Xhaka has shown us a slightly more subdued side, but it’s still preferable to the totally dedicated, yelling football player we saw at Arsenal.
“He is a better professional, a little more composed, and more measured. He is a talisman to have in your team, particularly if you have a young team and everyone believes in him.
“We need to wrap him in cotton wool and keep him going for 38 games.”
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