GRANIT XHAKA said goodbye to Arsenal and all that was missing was the Premier League trophy.
The Swiss international is leaving English football after seven years at the Emirates and signed off with the first double of his career.
He goes with the memory of two FA Cup final victories but without the League winners’ medal which he thought was heading his way for so much of this season.
And he showed that he is going to be a hard man for Mikel Arteta to replace when he completes his impending move to Bayer Leverkusen.
Because not only has he become a cult favourite with the fans who once made his life a misery, he has also played an integral part in Arsenal’s most successful season for years.
And many observers will be wondering why the club are so willing to let the influential Xkaha depart for a cut-price £13million fee when he still has another year of his contract to run.
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The fans are certainly asking that question, chanting ‘Granit Xhaka, we want you to stay’ when he made his emotional departure in the 75th minute.
But the 30-year-old central midfielder has his heart set on a return to the Bundesliga after Arsene Wenger signed him from Borussia Moenchengladbach as a direct replacement for Arteta in 2016.
And Arteta is not going to stand in his way as a reward for his part in helping to turn the club’s fortunes around.
So you can only assume that he already has a top class replacement lined up to assume Xhaka’s leadership duties on and off the pitch.
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This comfortable last-day stroll means Arsenal finish the campaign with 84 points, which is their highest total since the 2004 Invincibles.
It was also their 26th League win of the season, equalling the Invincibles’ club record as the club prepares for their long-awaited return to the Champions League.
But it still wasn’t enough to deny Manchester City yet another title and after leading Pep Guardiola’s team by eight points not so very long ago there was still in air of what might have been as the players completed their lap of appreciation at the final whistle.
But those inquests are for another day because this was all about celebrating Arsenal’s renaissance as serious Premier League contenders.
And no-one was given a louder reception than Xhaka on the day he scored twice and should have left the ground with a hat-trick ball.
It was during the fag end of Unai Emery’s ill-fated Arsenal reign that Xhaka was stripped of the captain’’s armband after he told the Gunenrs fans where to go when they booed him off the pitch during a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.
He was ready to quit the club there and then and it was only Arteta’s appointment two months later which persuaded him to rip up his plans to submit a transfer request.
It still took him a while to mend his fractured relationship with the supporters but now they worship the ground he walks on and sing his name at every possible opportunity.
They were in full voice in the 11th minute when he rose to head in Gabriel Jesus’ cross to the back post.
And it was standing ovation time three minutes later when he shot home from close range after Max Kilman’s ham-fisted attempts to clear Martin Odegaard’s backheel.
But neither chance was as easy as the one he spurned with a horrible 31st minute miskick right in front of goal after being teed up by Bukayo Saka.
It was a miss everyone could afford to laugh off because Saka had already put this game to bed with a beauty into the top corner before Jesus and Jakub Kiwior applied the second-half icing.
It was probably a good job for Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui that he was banished to the directors’ box as he served a touchline ban.
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Because his team were lucky to finish with nil after failing to test Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale all afternoon as they limped over the finishing line in 13th place.
So it’s no wonder Lopetegui is pushing for a major summer spending spree to improve his squad. Because they’re going to be in serious trouble next season if they can’t do better than this.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
