Granit Xhaka welcomes Mikel Arteta and Arsenal to the Stadium of Light on the weekend for a huge clash in the Premier League.
Xhaka is flying at Sunderland right now, and he could play a key role in helping the Black Cats potentially cause an upset for Mikel Arteta’s team.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  ArsenalArsenal | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 15 | 25 |
| 2 |  Manchester CityManchester City | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 8 | 12 | 19 |
| 3 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 18 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 18 |
Incredibly, it is also first place versus fourth, with the newly promoted Premier League team having made an excellent start to the new season.
The Swiss international facing his former club is one of the storylines of the Premier League weekend, and ahead of the clash, Arteta has given his thoughts on the former Gunner.
Mikel Arteta hails Granit Xhaka’s time at Arsenal
Arteta has been full of praise for Granit Xhaka ahead of this weekend’s reunion as Arsenal travel away to Sunderland.
The Spanish manager admitted he ‘loved’ working with the ex-Arsenal man and that he was ‘eternally grateful’ for what he did at the Emirates Stadium.
When asked about the experienced midfielder, Arteta told Football.London: “I loved every minute that we spent together. When he joined, he was in a special moment in his life and his career.
“He made me a better coach, he helped us to develop as a football team, as a club, and I will be eternally grateful.”
Xhaka is also a fan of Arteta and has spoken fondly of his former boss in the build-up to the match on Wearside.
Earlier this week, the former Gunner netted his first goal for his new club, as he found the back of the net at home against Everton.
Granit Xhaka’s record playing under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal
Xhaka spent three full seasons playing under Arteta at Arsenal and played an important role in establishing them as a top team.
In 147 appearances under the Spaniard, the midfielder managed 12 goals and 12 assists, which was not bad going.
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Bookings |
| 147 | 12 | 12 | 33 |
Xhaka, who had a ‘very good relationship’ with Arteta, eventually left the Gunners in the summer of 2023 and joined Bayer Leverkusen.
He then played a key role in helping the German club to win the Bundesliga title and has now transformed into a top player.
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