Granit Xhaka
Granit Xhaka is preparing to face his former club Arsenal on Saturday as Sunderland seeks to achieve an unexpected victory against the Premier League leaders. The match at the Stadium of Light presents a significant challenge for the newly promoted Black Cats, who have made an impressive start to their return to the top flight. Currently sitting in fourth place, Sunderland could potentially climb to second with a win, while Arsenal aims to extend their lead at the summit.
Regis Le Bris said: “He’s useful in different ways. His knowledge about Arsenal is important for us. We spoke together with the coaching staff all week. I think the main point is belief. The way he can transmit confidence to the squad, tell the players we can win something against this squad, even if they are really strong. This part is also really important.”
Xhaka, who spent seven seasons with Arsenal, has quickly become a key figure for Sunderland since his summer arrival. His leadership on and off the pitch has been pivotal, and Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris is eager to leverage Xhaka’s familiarity with Arsenal to their advantage. Le Bris emphasized the importance of belief and confidence, highlighting Xhaka’s role in instilling these qualities in the team.
Le Bris continued: “He plays with us now, which is great news. It’s a really good opportunity for Sunderland to have this kind of player because the club wants to grow and you need to set the standards. If you don’t know the standards, you don’t live the standards every day. It’s tough to imagine how far you can go and for that it’s really important for us. On the pitch, I keep repeating, he’s a really good player, which is really important. We spoke this week about his leadership and we agreed one of the main strengths of a leader is to create other leaders and he’s doing this every day. You can set the standard but at the same time, you know that if you are the only leader on the pitch for the full season it’s not sustainable.”
Sunderland’s recent performances, including a dramatic victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and a draw against Everton, have demonstrated their resilience. However, Le Bris acknowledges that facing Arsenal requires a “masterclass” performance. He stressed the need for composure and avoiding emotional play against such a formidable opponent.
Le Bris added: “We have to play our best football and if we are afraid or a bit reserved against this kind of team, we’ll be punished. If we’re too emotional, we’ll be punished. So we have to do a masterclass, we have no choice. It’s a good test after 10 games, after a full pre-season and 10 games in the Premier League, this game arrives in the perfect time to test us and challenge us.”
Sunderland will be without defender Omar Alderete, who is recovering from a concussion. As the Black Cats prepare for this crucial encounter, the presence and experience of Granit Xhaka could prove to be a decisive factor in their quest for a memorable result.
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