Arsenal star Granit Xhaka scored a crucial goal in the Europa League round of 16 second-leg against Sporting CP. The Swiss midfielder had not scored for the Gunners since the 1-1 draw against Southampton in the Premier League back in October.
The 30-year-old midfielder has enjoyed one his best seasons in an Arsenal shirt so far in the 2022/23 campaign, scoring five goals and providing a further five assists. Mikel Arteta was influential in helping Xhaka turn his career around at the Emirates Stadium and deployed him in a more advanced role this season.
The Gunners were dealt two major injury blows during the clash against Sporting as Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba both had to be withdrawn in the first half. The latter was spotted holding his back with a suspected muscle injury, whilst Tomiyasu had treatment on his knee before being replaced by Ben White.
READ MORE: William Saliba injured vs Sporting as Arsenal dealt big Premier League title race blow
Xhaka gave Arsenal breathing room against the Portuguese outfit after following up Gabriel Jesus' shot to tuck the ball home with a fine finish, ending his baron run in front of goal. Fans spotted a strange celebration from the Switzerland international as he raised his hand to his face and wiggled his fingers towards his teammates.
It's now been revealed that the celebration was dedicated to his daughter. Xhaka's partner posted an Instagram story showing their daughter copying the celebration as they watched his performance on TV.
Xhaka will hope he can continue to score goals heading into a crucial period of the season for Arsenal as they fight for the Europa League and Premier League title. The 30-year-old will continue to prove to be a crucial player for Arteta towards the end of the 2022/23 campaign with the Gunners boss hoping to avoid further injury woes that could derail their chances of success.
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