FOSSIL FUELLED
Mustafi, Xhaka and Luiz should not be written off just yet
Granit and Dani dictated the game really well
THEY were written off like old bangers in a demolition derby – but instead of dunces with Wolves, they were Mikel Arteta’s three amigos.
Between them Granit Xhaka, Shkodran Mustafi and David Luiz have been in more horror shows than Freddy Krueger’s neighbourhood watch on Elm Street.
This time, as Bukayo Saka, 18, stole the show at Molineux and decorated the best week of his life – having signed a new four-year deal – with a maiden Premier League goal, manager Arteta’s born-again backbone gave the boy wonder his platform to shine.
Eight months ago, Xhaka’s career at the Emirates was more or less finished. Stripped of the captaincy, after cupping his ear sarcastically to the jeers of critical supporters, tearing off his shirt and telling fans to “f*** off” when he was substituted, Xhaka was not just running on Swiss time, he was on borrowed time.
But at Wolves he was disciplined, tenacious and reliable – all the qualities he mislaid under Arteta’s unlamented predecessor Unai
Emery.
Luiz reminded us that in a back three – especially when not assigned to trail a specific opponent for 90 minutes – he is still an asset, not an accident waiting to happen.
Whether he was taking one for the team by wiping out the escaping Adama Traore, or throwing himself in the way of anything in Arsenal’s box, this was the Luiz who won the title at Chelsea three years ago.
Fellow centreback Mustafi was consigned to the dead wood along with the kindle under Emery, but here he was up for the fight against 24-goal Raul Jimenez and came out on top. The end product was Arsenal’s first away league win against a team starting above them in the table since September 2015 – a shocking statistic for such a lofty club. All of a sudden, spirits are soaring in the red-and-white heartlands of north London ahead of tomorrow’s home game with Leicester followed by a date with the riff-raff up the Seven Sisters Road.
As Saka’s crisp half-volley and substitute Alex Lacazette’s fine finish handed Arsenal their fourth straight win, the recriminations and acrimony of defeats at Manchester City and Brighton were consigned to the realm of bad dreams. Arteta said of Xhaka: “He was pivotal – he and Dani [Ceballos] dictated the game really well. I know his character, he’s a great personality and he’s so focused that he deserves to be helped.”
Mustafi’s transformation has been as gratifying. Arteta said: “We try to help every player to improve. Musti’s attitude, his training, attention levels, the questions he’s asking and how much he wants to help everybody has been really good since I joined.”
Wolves got what they deserved, Traore missing their best chances, after 17 seconds and when clean through in the second half. Boss Nuno Espirito Santo said: “The sense of urgency we need to chase a result was not there.”