"He’s not rash like before" - Arsenal star gets seal of approval from club legends Patrick Vieira and Cesc Fabregas 

Former Arsenal midfielders Patrick Vieira and Cesc Fabregas have lauded Granit Xhaka's performances for the club this season.

The Gunners bounced back from a four-game winless streak by beating London rivals Chelsea at the Emirates in the Premier League on Tuesday, May 2. They won 3-1 courtesy of a brace from Martin Odegaard and a goal from Gabriel Jesus, all in the first half.

One of the best performers for Arsenal on the night was Xhaka, who caused Chelsea a lot of problems with his darting runs from midfield. He laid out two assists, recorded two key passes, and also completed two of his three dribble attempts.

After the game, Gunners legend Vieira heaped praise on Xhaka's performance and passion. He said (via the Mirror):

"Listen, I don’t want him to change. This fire, the team needs it and he needs it as a player. He is a top player. I had a chance to spend a bit of time with him off the field and he loves this football club."

He added:

"He is passionate on the field and that passion, he needs to share it around with the other players to take as well more responsibility. I hope that fire inside him, he will keep it, because that makes him as a player."

Another Arsenal legend, Fabregas, who was working with Vieira on Sky Sports for the game against Chelsea, said:

"I think he’s got the same passion but he’s not rash like before. He’s not committing into challenges he cannot win.

"He doesn’t need to track as much as a low midfielder, he’s got cover, he’s much more protected so he has this licence to go forward with a bit more of a free head knowing that he doesn’t need to be the last man sometimes."

He added:

"He’s not the fastest player so sometimes he was struggling against fast players in the Premier League so I think that this has helped him as well mentally."

Xhaka, 30, has now scored five goals and provided seven assists in 33 Premier League games for Arsenal this season.

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Granit Xhaka's resurgence has been a big positive for Arsenal

Arsenal signed Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016. He has since had some major ups and downs during his stay with the north London side.

In 2019, the midfielder was stripped of the captaincy after having a heated moment with the Gunners faithful. In a game against Crystal Palace, Xhaka abused the club's fans while being substituted as a reaction to their boos. He was even linked with a move away from the club but manager Mikel Arteta decided against it.

Xhaka has repaid the Spaniard's faith brilliantly with his performances this season. He has been excellent alongside Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard in midfield, helping Arsenal challenge for the Premier League title.

The Swiss has also found his way back with the club's fans, who can often be heard chanting his name during their games. Xhaka's resurgence has truly been remarkable.