Patrick Vieira has named Granit Xhaka as one of his three favourite central midfielders currently playing in the Premier League.
Xhaka, 29, has experienced an indifferent time in England since joining Arsenal from Borussia Monchengladbach in the summer of 2016. The Switzerland international has been a regular for the Gunners, making 253 appearances and winning two FA Cups.
Yet Xhaka's discipline has been questioned, with the midfielder receiving five red cards during his time at Arsenal. He was also stripped of the captaincy for swearing at home fans at the Emirates after being substituted against Crystal Palace in October 2019.
Since then, Xhaka has rebuilt his reputation at the Emirates and is considered a fan favourite again. He's played so well that Vieira has ranked him as one of the best in his position, along with N'Golo Kante of Chelsea and Fabinho of Liverpool.
"This is a really difficult one," admitted Vieira, as quoted by The Metro. "What I will mention is maybe players that I really like.
"I like Kante I think he is this kind of modern holding midfield player that can really go forward. I think he is this kind of box to box player who can be really dangerous going forward working really hard for the team as well.
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"Xhaka at Arsenal, I think he is a team player. I think he is someone you might not even notice a lot or really mention in a match but he is doing really work from Liverpool and also Fabinho from Liverpool."
That's high praise for Xhaka. Firstly because Vieira was one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. He inspired Arsenal to three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and three Community Shields during his nine-year spell in London, playing 406 games.
Secondly because Kante and Fabinho are two of the best midfielders in the modern game. Kante, 31, was part of the Leicester side that famously won the Premier League title six years ago, completing one of the greatest upsets in football history. Since then, the France international has won six trophies at Chelsea and lifted the World Cup four years ago.
Fabinho, meanwhile, has achieved significant success at Liverpool - winning the Premier League title, Champions League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, European Super Cup, Club World Cup and Community Shield. He's also a regular for Brazil, earning 27 senior caps to date.
Vieira is now in charge of Palace, the team Xhaka endured his infamous meltdown against three years ago. The Eagles have enjoyed a brilliant start to the season, picking up four points from three difficult games against Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa.
In defence of Xhaka, Vieira added: "I know how good he is, and he will come through this difficult period because he's a strong man. He's a good player, and he will show how good he is.''
