Granit Xhaka justifying Arsenal optimism in France, but sterner tests await

They may have to navigate chunks of the season without him, but the signs from early sparring at Euro 2016 suggest Granit Xhaka will prove a promising addition to the Arsenal camp.

Only one player has collected more red cards than the 23-year-old has (five) in Europe’s top five leagues across the past three seasons. It comes with his combative venom. There were a few gasps at Parc des Princes when, barely five minutes into Switzerland’s encounter with Romania, Xhaka recklessly lunged for an opponent. But unlike rivals clubs, it’s a flaw that’s unlikely to alarm Gunners fans.

[MATCH REPORT: Romania hold on for draw against Switzerland]

Frailty. It’s the go-to criticism whenever Arsenal crop up in debate. When expectation and hope seeps onto the Emirates terraces, the performance suffers a dramatic dive. They yo-yo through a season, elating then paining their fans as their flaw surfaces again and again. But that might be about to change.

While fans may be eagerly perusing footage of his inch-perfect passing, it’s Xhaka’s fondness for physical battles that should propel Arsene Wenger’s deeper in the title hunt. The price: plenty of yellow cards, the occasional red. The reward: some steel added to an otherwise coveted Gunners pack.

Two ‘Man of the Match’ displays have seen his pass-o-meter flicker into Arsenal territory, even if it hasn’t quite inspired Switzerland, while he has swarmed about desperate for altercation. Against Romania, he flitted across the park – smartly spraying the ball left and right – before his attention switched to closing out a point that practically guarantees a knockout spot. That’s what’s been missing from Arsenal: players with an ability to switch approaches to get a result. In short, he’s a next gen Francis Coquelin with an attack switch.

Not that we should get too carried away. He’s played two teams high on industry (Albania and Romania) in France, but low on discernible quality. Only after he’s squared off against France, will we have a clearer indicator of his potential. Can he dismiss the presence of Paul Pogba? Will his incisive passes evade N'Golo Kante's radar? Perhaps both will be rested for the encounter, given France have qualified, but he will surely face sterner tests at some point.

“I don’t think we have to be satisfied with four points,” Xhaka said after the 1-1 draw with Romania. “We want to win against France. Of course they are favourites.

It’s that last line that will fill Arsenal fans with hope. "We're not scared." It appears he's mentally ready for his jump from Borussia Moenchengladbach to the Premier League.

And yet a word of caution. There isn't exactly a train of Swiss players, or those of Bundesliga fame, who have made an immediate impact after arriving in England. Xherdan Shaqiri and Roberto Firmino, two recent examples (albeit differing positionally) arriving with plenty of hype, have settled for mediocre seasons. Until someone's thrust into high intensity, it's hard to know how they will fare.

But the early indications are Xhaka will thrive. He's acquitting himself on the international stage with aplomb. Whisper it quietly, but Arsenal may have secured the foundations to a more stable title push in 2016-17...