Posted: 23:00, 12 November 2022 | Updated: 23:12, November 12, 2022
Granit Xhaka was forced off in the early stages of Arsenal’s crucial 2-0 win against Wolves on Saturday, but manager Mikel Arteta has since revealed the Swiss star was just dealing with an illness problem. The Gunners capitalized on Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat at Brentford on Saturday to climb five points clear at the top of the Premier League ahead of the World Cup break thanks to a well-executed double from captain Martin Odegaard. Xhaka, who fell to his feet immediately after kick-off, played for the first 16 minutes of the match with some discomfort before making way for substitute Fabio Vieira. Granit Xhaka was sent off in the 16th minute during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Wolves. The midfielder is expected to captain Switzerland at the World Cup next week. During his post-match interview, Arteta confirmed that Xhaka was suffering from an illness which had made its way around the Arsenal camp. “It’s okay,” Aretha said. “We had a few boys with stomach problems but I’m happy we adapted to those conditions and managed to win the game. “There were a few players who weren’t feeling well, but obviously they made three or four changes in that period. Mikel Arteta confirmed after the match that Xhaka was dealing with an illness problem “The good thing is that under any difficult context, away from home every three days, [the players] still come here and you manage to play well.’ Enjoying their best ever start to a Premier League campaign, Arsenal will now be on top at Christmas, with the top-flight returning on Boxing Day after the World Cup in Qatar. Arteta stressed that patience was the most important factor during the clash at Molineux. Martin Odegaard’s second-half double moved Arsenal five points clear at the top of the league He continued: “Today was about being very patient, the game they proposed made it difficult with very little space. “It was disappointing because they were waiting for that mistake to catch us on the break. “The speed, the purpose and the courage to take more initiative was much better in the second half and then they won the game. All week there was a lot of talk about individuals and about us collectively. The manager insisted patience was key during the Gunners’ 2-0 triumph at Molineux “Mentally it was difficult, but that’s the mentality you have to have when you’re at the top. Our focus is to be better every day and we still have things to improve. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been in this position, it’s been a complete transformation from the energy and passion the fans have put into these players. “The unity from the top to every member of the team and the staff, they [the fans] he is the soul of this football club.”
