Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has been urged to 'keep his head' by former Gunners favourite David Seaman ahead of the north London derby this weekend.
Xhaka has not always had things easy at the Emirates Stadium since joining the club from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016, but the 30-year-old has been in a rich vein of form this season after being given a license to roam by Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.
And the midfielder's dramatic transformation has helped to repair his relationship with the fans, who serenaded the former Arsenal captain throughout the 3-0 win over Brentford prior to the international break.
It's been quite the turnaround for Xhaka, whose position at the club appeared to be untenable just shy of three years ago after he was booed by his own fans and stripped of the club captaincy by former boss Unai Emery. But Seaman is concerned that Saturday's derby clash with Tottenham could lead to Xhaka falling back into bad habits.
He told the Seaman Says podcast: "When you talk about those two in midfield for Spurs [Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur], I’m thinking, ‘Xhaka, keep your head’. Keep your head, because these are the sort of games where he can get into trouble."
Saturday's clash at the Emirates is the sort of environment where Xhaka has come unstuck in the past. The fiery midfielder has amassed more read cards (four) than any other player in the Premier League since joining the Gunners, and the north London derby will be a good gauge of just how significantly the Swiss international's temperament has improved.
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Despite concerns over his past, Xhaka has been making an impact at the other end of the pitch with his new role in the Gunners' engine room. The Arsenal man has already outperformed his stats from last season by bagging a goal and three assists in just seven league games.
And his recent resurgence has been endorsed by ex-Arsenal defender Martin Keown, who believes that Xhaka has matured and is now a 'perfect' fit for Arteta's current side. He told Mirror Football : "What's going so right for him [Xhaka] is the calibre of player he is now playing with.
"There has always been a desire, a need to be successful but they are all one year older. He has been there during a time of transition, a number of managers now that he has worked under.
"He’s found a niche for himself in midfield, he’s been able to express himself and show more of what he is capable of and at the age, he is at it fits perfectly in this team."
