"You can see his frustration when he loses a game and he isn’t afraid to speak his mind" - Bacary Sagna lauds Arsenal star's character and strong start to new season Comment Share Bacary Sagna heaps praise on Arsenal midfielder amid blistering start to the season Former Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna has heaped praise on Gunners midfielder Granit Xhaka amid a strong start to the ongoing 2022-23 season. The Switzerland international has made a huge turn-around after a turbulent period at the Emirates. He has registered seven appearances for the north London outfit in the Premier League so far, recording a goal and three assists. Evan Cooper@LacazestWishing a very happy birthday to Granit Xhaka, who turns 30 today! ?4987214Wishing a very happy birthday to Granit Xhaka, who turns 30 today! ? https://t.co/MeDcZMQHyo In an interview with Lord Ping, Sagna was asked about the Arsenal midfielder's blistering start to the campaign. The Frenchman said: "He is a key player for Arsenal. He has been at the club for a number of years now. He has faced a lot of criticism during the time that he has been there, which wouldn’t have been easy for him and his family." "We know that he picks up a lot of cards but I think some of those have been harsh and based on his reputation. He is a fighter and I like the way he plays. He has personality and is always looking to take the ball." Sagna continued in praise of Xhaka: "He is a natural leader. I like his attitude. He gets angry when he loses a match - Arsenal need players like him. You can see his frustration when he loses a game and he isn’t afraid to speak his mind. He’s been criticized for being himself or for when he has criticized his teammates." "But sometimes you need to hear these things as players, and he is respected by everyone in the dressing room because of how he acts. I’m sure the players took the criticism from him. He is also the first one to criticize his own game."

Bacary Sagna on Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka s importance to the team

The Frenchman insisted that he would rather play with an honest professional like Xhaka than a deceitful one. He said: "We live in a world where players are very worried about what they say publicly. Players will say one thing to the press and behave very differently in the dressing room, he doesn’t do this. He is real. He is authentic. I would rather have him as a teammate, speaking his mind, than someone who says one thing and then does another." Citing the Arsenal star's strengths and weaknesses, Sagna concluded: "He hasn’t been perfect. Sometimes he gets caught out of position or gives the ball away, but you know that if you are in a war, he is ready to fight for you. He is ready to give 100% all of the time. He is a complete midfield player. He has excellent passing and has created some nice assists this season. He can score goals - I like him."Evan Cooper@LacazestReally nice to see Xhaka getting the recognition he deserves.

Such an important player for us! 219292Really nice to see Xhaka getting the recognition he deserves.Such an important player for us! Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Ritwik Kumar × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout No Results Found Get the free App now Manage notifications Popular ‍ Sports (30+) CricketCricket HomeScheduleT20 World CupT20 warm upIND vs SAENG vs PAKAUS vs ENGLegends LeagueECS T10 CroatiaWBBL 2022ECC T10SMAT 2022Bukhatir LeagueNZ T20 Tri-SeriesWomen's Asia Cup 2022ECT10 FootballFootball HomeNewslettersSK Experts ScheduleEPLNations LeagueLa LigaLigue 1Champions LeagueFIFA WCMLS Bundesliga Serie A WWEWWE HomeNewslettersRumor RoundupRAWSmackDownResultsRosterChampionsWWE Crown Jewel 2022PPV ScheduleAEW EsportsEsports HomeMinecraftOverwatch 2RobloxGenshin ImpactFortniteGTAStreamersFree FirePUBGValorantBGMIPop CultureAnimeGaming TechWiki Guides TennisTennis HomeTennis calendarTennis Results TodayATP RankingsWTA RankingsRoger FedererRafael NadalNovak DjokovicSerena Williams MMAMMA HomeUFC NewsONE ChampionshipUFC Fight NightScheduleRankingsResultsUFC Fights TonightONE Championship ResultsONE Championship ScheduleONE Championship Rankings KabaddiKabaddi HomePKL 2022PKL SchedulePKL Points TableKabaddi Rules WikiWiki HomeMinecraft WikiNaruto WikiTikTok WikiYoutube WikiGTA WikiTerraria WikiOne Piece Wiki MoreSportsBasketballIndian FootballNFLMinecraftFormula 1NascarPop CultureCollege FootballHockeyGolfAthleticsBadmintonGymnasticsWrestlingSwimmingTennisShootingBoxingArcheryWinter SportsRobloxFree PicksSkateboardingKho KhoLifestyle LINKS About Us Write For Us Policies Editorial Standards Journalism Awards Fact Check Affiliate Program Careers CSR Privacy Policy Contact Us Edition: English हिन्दी