Granit Xhaka says he could instantly see 'world-class' skill of Arsenal stars Ozil, Cazorla and Sanchez

Training ground tussle: Xhaka has revealed how impressed he was with Sanchez in training
Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
James Benge1 September 2016

Granit Xhaka has admitted he felt nervous when he first encountered some of Arsenal’s star names after his transfer from Borussia Monchengladbach.

The Arsenal midfielder has settled in swiftly on the field since his £33.8million arrival in May and was among the most impressive players on Saturday when Arsene Wenger’s side registered their first win of the season, 3-1 away to Watford.

Perhaps most impressive in Xhaka’s display was how he dovetailed with fellow deep-lying midfielder Santi Cazorla to provide the ammunition for Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, whose goals in the final five minutes of the first half turned a cagey 1-0 lead into a commanding 3-0 advantage.

Yet Xhaka admits that when he first arrived even his sizeable price tag, the fourth most Arsenal have paid for a player, couldn’t stop him from being intimidated by Wenger’s star trio.

Watford vs Arsenal - analysis

1/5

“I have to admit that in the first few days there was an undeniable nervousness,” Xhaka told Appenzeller Zeitung. “You can see the players are world class just by the way they pass the ball. Ozil, Sanchez and Cazorla for example, are huge personalities.

“Even though the club has spent more money on me, there’s still a great deal I can learn from them, in every respect. Things like their work ethic and ambition are impressive.

“You can’t afford to rest on your laurels at all or you’ll instantly be on the bench. Every training session, every sprint, every exercise must be done to the best your ability.”

Xhaka, though, has made an immediate impression and looks likely to retain his starting role in the hotly contested battle for a central midfield berth. But the former Glabdach captain knows that with his high price tag came a sizeable expectation.

“Everything happens on a higher plain than it did at Borussia Moenchengladbach or FC Basel. You become aware of the global perception of Arsenal when you’re on the tour of the USA. Everywhere we went there were huge crowds waiting, the size of the club is unmistakable.

“Arsenal prepares the players in the best way. They pay attention to every detail. Everything from flights, food and service is done to optimise recovery.

“In England they’re aware of what I brought to the table in the Bundesliga. I think the players know that. They are likely to assume that a player who arrives with a €45 million price tag has two or three qualities.

“I knew before I arrived that the pressure at a club that challenges for the title grows quickly. The season is long, we’ll become stronger with every game.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in