Arsenal news: Unai Emery defends under-fire Gunners star Granit Xhaka amid reports he’ll be made club captain
Arsenal manager Unai Emery is reportedly set to hand the club captaincy to under-fire midfielder Granit Xhaka.
Arsenal have been without a permanent skipper since Laurent Koscielny forced through a move to Bordeaux last month.
And Gunners boss Emery has defended Xhaka ahead of Sunday’s trip to Watford.
The midfielder divides opinion in the Arsenal fan base and did his popularity no favours after giving away a needless penalty in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham earlier this month.
But the 26-year-old has been a regular starter since Emery replaced Arsene Wenger last summer.
Emery said: “We’ve been speaking - mistake, recognise that mistake, learn, correct, improve and after repeat with success.
“Every player makes mistakes, only some are magnified because the consequence is more.
“But I am really focused on the good things, on the positive performances and Xhaka has a big character and is very important for us.
“He played a very good match against Tottenham, he made a mistake that was a penalty, he knows and we are working to improve, to change that mistake in one process.”
Xhaka joined Arsenal in a £35million deal from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016.
And Emery has reinforced the Switzerland captain’s importance to his team.
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He added: “Of course, he gives us a very good balance in the middle with the ball and without the ball.
“I think he is very important for us.
“We can talk about the defects for every player, for him also, but we can speak about positive things, the very positive performances he gives us in most matches.”