Cesc Fabregas and Patrick Vieira have given Granit Xhaka their seal of approval following Arsenal's 3-1 win over Chelsea. The 30-year-old midfield played an integral role in the Gunners' victory on Wednesday night as they leapfrogged Manchester City in the title run-in.
The north Londoners are now two points adrift of Pep Guardiola's side at the top of the table, though the reigning Premier League champions have two games in hand. Nevertheless, Xhaka has enjoyed an incredible campaign under Mikel Arteta and the Switzerland international has been recognised by two of the sport's all-time greats.
Speaking to Sky Sports after Arsenal's win over Chelsea, Vieira heaped great praise on Xhaka for controlling his aggression in the London derby – a tie which typically sees the red mist descend. As quoted by the Mirror, the Frenchman said: "Listen, I don’t want him to change.
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"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 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."
Standing alongside Vieira pitch-side at the Emirates Stadium, Fabregas highlighted how Xhaka has matured lately. The Spaniard 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’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 has featured 33 times for Arsenal in the Premier League so far this season, picking up just four yellow cards – and he's also yet to be sent off. The Switzerland international was once infamous for a slightly concerning disciplinary record on the pitch but, since moving into a more advanced role, he's controlled his temper and become a pivotal feature in the Gunners' starting lineup.
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