Jamie Carragher has named his Premier League Team of the Season so far, and one former Gunner made the cut.
As we head into the festive period, there’s a brief chance to reflect on what has happened in the Premier League so far.
Arsenal will be top of the table on Christmas Day, which is where Mikel Arteta’s side will want to be, but they now have history to make.
It’s been 78 years since Arsenal won the league after sitting top at Christmas, piling pressure on the Gunners, though Arteta knows he has something different this year.
Arsenal are top at Christmas, how sure are you that history won’t repeat itself?
Jamie Carragher just put Granit Xhaka ahead of Moises Caicedo
Arsenal’s squad depth is one thing, but the quality within Arteta’s team is another, brimming with players of world-class potential.
It came as no surprise to learn that three Arsenal players made Jamie Carragher’s Premier League Team of the Season so far, but it was almost less surprising that a former Gunner also made the cut.
Carragher’s best XI was revealed on Sky Sports Monday Night Football, with Declan Rice joined in midfield by Granit Xhaka.
We want to know who makes YOUR Premier League Team of the Season so far. 👇
Both players’ inclusion needed little explanation; however, Carragher deemed it necessary to explain why Xhaka got in ahead of Moises Caicedo.
“I just felt the impact of Xhaka this season is the biggest impact of a signing or effect on a team. It feels like he’s just so important to Sunderland,” he explained.
“So I just felt he had to be in the team. So I apologise to Chelsea fans, as I seem to do a lot! But no, I couldn’t find room for Caicedo because of those reasons.”
Carragher’s take was particularly interesting from an Arsenal point of view, given how much talk there’s been comparing Rice and Caicedo.
In the pundit’s eyes, it’s not just Rice that Caicedo needs to be wary of, but also Xhaka, who has been one of the signings of the season for Sunderland.
Declan Rice was the perfect Xhaka replacement
Two and a half years after Arsenal sold Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen for £21m, the Swiss international has returned to the Premier League to reinstate himself as one of the best.
Though some have questioned whether Arsenal should’ve re-signed Xhaka in the summer, the actual narrative should be how well the Gunners replaced the midfielder.
Was there a better replacement for Granit Xhaka at Arsenal than Declan Rice? If so, let us know!
As Xhaka bid farewell, Rice waited to be unveiled, becoming the perfect replacement for his predecessor, as the numbers reveal.
Arsenal somehow managed to replace a player who has gone on to become one of the Premier League’s best with, arguably, the best in the world.
It’s rare that you get what you pay for in football, but with Rice, every penny spent was worthwhile.
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