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Some Arsenal fans urge Mikel Arteta not to make controversial selection v Villarreal

Giuseppe Labellarte

Thu 6 May 2021 7:15, UK

A number of Arsenal fans have urged Mikel Arteta not to play Granit Xhaka at left-back in Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second-leg clash at the Emirates.

The Gunners trail Villarreal 2-1 from the first leg in Spain, and the stakes are incredibly high since the Europa League is their last chance of silverware and best opportunity to qualify for Europe.

Xhaka has been covering at left-back in Kieran Tierney’s absence but, while he’s done okay overall, there have been times when he’s looked exposed.

Martin Keown picked up on this, and in his column from last week, he wrote: “Granit Xhaka does not deserve to be getting the blame.

“I feel for him. He’s a midfielder being told to play at left back by his manager in Kieran Tierney’s absence.

“Xhaka played well there against Sheffield United, and Arsenal kept their first clean sheet for 13 games. But he has since been left exposed by higher-quality opponents.”

Indeed, Keown noticed how Emery had identified the Gunners’ left-hand side as the vulnerable area in their first leg.

Tierney is closing in on a return to fitness but it remains to be seen whether he’d feature from the off, though Cedric Soares and Bukayo Saka have also done well at left-back.

What some Arsenal fans don’t want to see is Xhaka not in the midfield, given it has looked a lot weaker without him there:

Need to move Xhaka back to midfield
KT should be fit enough to start

— Don Mikel Arteta (@linkomeiza)

Whatever you’re doing, just return Xhaka to his natural position. We need him back in the middle. I hope KT is fit to play too.
PS: Tell Partey to desist from taking shots. T for thanks.

— Nono✨ (@nonothe3rd)

Xhaka needs to be in midfield Thursday … give Cedric the LB role if KT isn’t fit

— Lewis Roper (DJ) (@roper_lewis)

If there is one thing I want tomorrow

Other than a win ofcourse

Is that I don’t see Xhaka as the lb again

I want to see him in the midfield and no where other than midfield

If KT is on bench

I want Cedric or Saka at lb

Not Xhaka

He’s needed in midfield

— saxon71 (@stuafc71)

If Tierney is not available tomorrow please play Saka as LB 😭, feel like things gonna go wrong With Xhaka there again

— GoonerChris✨ (@TheBS7Era)

Madness!! Xhaka must play midfield. Use Saka at left back. Too many players playing out of position it’s crazy.

— Nra.70 (@70Nra)