EPL: I thought he was finished – Tim Sherwood surprised by Arsenal star’s form

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager, Tim Sherwood, has expressed his shock at how Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has become a Gunners fan favourite.

Sherwood said this after Xhaka scored in Arsenal’s Premier League derby 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.

A series of high-profile errors and unnecessary red cards made Xhaka a villain at the Emirates Stadium in 2019.

The Swiss international was even stripped of the captaincy following his angry reaction to being substituted.

However, Xhaka has played a starring role for Mikel Arteta’s side this season, with two goals and three assists in eight Premier League games so far.

“I love it when you have got a character like that. I absolutely thought he [Xhaka] was finished once the armband went down. I thought there was absolutely no way back for him,” Sherwood said (as per HITC Sport).

“He has knuckled down. He has found a manager who he likes now, he really wants to play for the team, he drives them on, he’s playing in a more advanced role now.”