Arsenal thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 4-1 in the Emirates Cup, in a game which saw Granit Xhaka return to North London.
Xhaka joined Leverkusen last year, and enjoyed an outstanding campaign as he won the Bundesliga undefeated, and scored the winner in the DFB-Pokal final.
By the time Xhaka left Arsenal, he became a popular figure amongst the fans, and was clearly well respected by his teammates and Mikel Arteta.
Xhaka joined the likes of Thierry Henry and Nicklas Bendtner in returning to Arsenal during the Emirates Cup, and this saw him reunite with a lot of his former teammates.
Arsenal secured a resounding victory, and Xhaka, who was substituted to a positive reception during the game, embraced his old teammates at full-time. However, the first player he went to was not one he played with.
Granit Xhaka embraced Declan Rice after Arsenal victory over Bayer Leverkusen
In a video shared by journalist Amy Lawrence on X, Xhaka engaged with the Arsenal squad after the game ended, but the player he beelined for was Declan Rice.
Xhaka embraced most of the squad, but went straight to Rice first. The pair never played together, as Rice joined for a club record fee to help replace Xhaka last year, but they did face each other in the quarter-final of Euro 2024.
Rice, like Xhaka, has played both at the base of midfield as well as further forward. It was in this advanced role, that Xhaka thrived in his final season at Arsenal.
Granit Xhaka’s Arsenal return was a disastrous one for Bayer Leverkusen
Xhaka did enjoy his return off the pitch, as he reunited with former teammates and enjoyed an excellent reception from the home crowd, but it was a poor day for his Bayer Leverkusen side.
Arsenal were utterly dominant, and the German Champions were shaky at the back, with several errors leading to Arsenal chances.
Xhaka himself had a quiet game, but given that it was a pre-season friendly, neither he nor Xabi Alonso will be too disheartened by the result.
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