There is a curious ceasefire between Granit Xhaka and the Arsenal supporters right now. If you were to do a straw poll among the fanbase it's probably safe to guess that the majority would want an upgrade on him this summer, but at the same time most would also acknowledge that the Gunners midfield is considerably weaker without him in it.
Nowhere was this more pertinently felt than in Saturday's 2-1 lost ro Brighton. The vitriolic response which greeted the news that the Swiss international was going to be starting at left back was telling. His partnership with Thomas Partey has been crucial to Arsenal's good run of form since December. When the pair have started together this season the Gunners have won 71% of their matches as opposed to just 41% of the games when they haven't.
It is no surprise that the wheels appear to be falling off Arsenal's top four push now that that essential duo has been broken up by a potentially season-ending injury for the Ghanaian. Despite this though there remains a huge hurdle for most supporters that their relationship with Xhaka will never be able to overcome.
