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‘Be more clever’ – Granit Xhaka explains where Arsenal must improve to keep top-four charge on course as he hails kids

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GRANIT XHAKA admits Arsenal’s kids are ‘making life easy’ for their senior pros after the Gunners soared into the top four on the back of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang being stripped of the captaincy. 

But Swiss midfielder Xhaka, axed as captain in 2019 to make way for Aubameyang, has challenged his side to start proving themselves away from home if they are to qualify for the Champions League.  

Xhaka was part of the side that won 2-0 against West Ham on Wednesday eveningCredit: Getty

Wednesday’s 2-0 win over West Ham made it nine wins in ten unbeaten home games for Mikel Arteta’s men – but they have lost their last three matches on the road, ahead of Saturday’s trip to Leeds. 

Youngsters Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe netted against the Hammers, as Arteta’s young players continue to carry the Gunners.

And Xhaka, 29, said: “We have a lot of young players, and you can see the hunger in them. But as well, the experienced players like me, like Thomas Partey for in the middle, we have to take them to the side, we have to speak with them. 

“They are making our life very easy, because they are playing very well. They are scoring and we are enjoying playing with them. But, of course, we need the leaders in the team and at the moment we are doing well.

“If we didn’t (believe we could make the Champions League) we don’t need to go on the pitch. 

“I think we are looking much, much better at home, but of course if you want to be in the top four you have to win and you have to take points away as well. Hopefully, this starts on Saturday against Leeds. 

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“We have to improve away, we have to be more clever, more solid. We can’t play every time the same game at home and away, we have to be more clever and this starts from the experienced players to the young guys.

“At the moment we are very strong, very solid. We are not conceding a lot of goals and we believe in ourselves. We know we have to improve, and the important thing is to go game by game.”

Xhaka believes Arsenal’s high-energy pressing game was key to defeating David Moyes’ Hammers and leapfrogging them into fourth place. 

He said: “We knew what we had to do. We knew it was a big game for us       and if we beat them, we’d go above them. 

 “And I think from the first second to the end of the 90 minutes, we    deserved to win. 

“We know they have a lot of people in front, they can win the duels, the 50-50 balls, and that’s why we had to press them. I think our forward players did amazingly.”

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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk

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