'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Olympique Lyonnais striker Alexandre Lacazette has offered words of appreciation to Granit Xhaka after his former Arsenal teammate recently reached a landmark for Switzerland.
Xhaka, 31, tied the record for the most caps for Switzerland after making his 118th appearance in his team's 3-3 UEFA Euro qualifier draw against Belarus on Sunday (October 15). He played the full 90 minutes to match former Grasshoppers star Heinz Hermann's record.
After the international match, Xhaka posted on his Instagram account:
"What an incredible honour to become record holder in the @swissnatimen together with the great Heinz Hermann. A big thanks to all the people who have been supporting me. Family, friends, coaches, staff and teammates. Without you it wouldn't have been possible to reach 118 appearances for Switzerland. And a special thanks to the fans. It's always a big privilege to play for Switzerland and in front of you. Danke, merci, grazie & engratziel fetg ❤️ A lot more to come 💪 #GX10"
Lacazette, who played with Xhaka for five seasons at Arsenal, replied:
"Legend 👏🏽👏🏽"
Xhaka, who left Mikel Arteta's side to join Bayer Leverkusen for over £21.5 million earlier this summer, has started 113 of his 118 appearances for Switzerland so far. He has registered 14 goals and 12 assists for his team, picking up 25 yellow cards along the way.
Meanwhile, the FC Basel academy graduate featured alongside Lacazette for 153 games for Arsenal. Both of them shared the pitch together for over 10,000 minutes and relished three joint goal participations.
Kevin Campbell comments on Arsenal star's social media treatment after below-par start
Speaking to Curtis Shaw TV, ex-Arsenal forward Kevin Campbell claimed that Kai Havertz's sub-par start in a Gunners shirt has seen him garner overblown criticism on social media. He elaborated (h/t HITC):
"On social media, you would think that Kai Havertz is stinking the place out left, right and centre. Costing us week in and week out. He's not. He does put a shift in. He is a continuity player. It's just taking him longer to settle in what his manager wants him to do."
Havertz, 24, joined Arsenal from Chelsea in a potential £65 million deal earlier this summer. He has struggled to live up to his price tag, registering one goal and one assist in 12 games across competitions so far.
A left-footed versatile midfielder, the German is currently taking his time to settle in to his new midfield role in a 4-3-3 formation. He has often been deployed as a left-sided central midfielder in the ongoing season.
