Granit Xhaka has revealed how Mikel Arteta has transformed the Arsenal team into title contenders.
In a dramatic win over Bournemouth last weekend, Arsenal trailed 2-0 only to win 3-2 in the 97th minute after Reiss Nelson scored a last-gasp belter from outside the box.
The result meant the Gunners remain five points ahead of Manchester in second place amid renewed hope the North London outfit can claim a Premier League title win for the first time in 19 years.
As Arsenal’s fortunes seem to have taken a positive turn, a player who has equally experienced his own turnaround is Granit Xhaka, with many expecting him to leave the club after a fall-out with the fans in November 2019, under Unai Emery.
Xhaka has now turned things around at the Emirates to become a fan-favourite and one of Mikel Arteta’s most reliable names.
A lot has changed since Arteta’s first season as Arsenal manager and Xhaka details just what the Spaniard has done to see the Gunners rise to the very top this term.
Xhaka details changes under Mikel Arteta this season
One key change that has helped Arsenal maintain momentum has been the players’ diets, with Xhaka admitting that subtle differences have had huge results this season.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the Switzerland international said: “I mean, talent is not enough.
“With only talent, you cannot achieve something big.
“If you see us on the training pitch, day-by-day, how much we care, how much we work…everything starts [somewhere], Mikel changed even the food.
“He changed a lot of food, our body fat dropped massively! They are small details but massive.”
Arteta’s only senior coaching role is the Arsenal one and the Spaniard came under huge pressure in previous seasons. However, his decisions are now paying off as the Gunners chase the Premier League title.
But the Spaniard has repeatedly brushed off talks about the title, even if Xhaka wants to dream about lifting it.
He added: “[Arteta] wants and demands a lot from us.
“But he wants as well that we demand a lot from each other. Every day. 100 per cent.
“Don’t drop anything because it can change, weekend by weekend. You lose two games, you are again second.
“If I’m honest, we didn’t speak about to win a title, yet. But, if you are so close, why not?
“If you are five points clear over second place, we know that we are still 13/14 games to play but why not to put the belief in each other to speak about it?
“I’m a big fan of to dream a little bit, but this is not a dream, this is something we can really achieve.
“But we are still thinking step-by-step, game-by-game, let’s see how far we can take it.”
