Granit Xhaka admits he can't go out in London after Liverpool humiliation

Granit Xhaka may have been voted as Switzerland's Player of the Year but he admits that he cannot go out in London in a flamboyant mood following Arsenal's 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Liverpool.


Xhaka was handed the accolade at a Swiss Football Association ceremony on Monday night, less than 24 hours after he was criticised for his listless display at Anfield.

Speaking about the award, he said: "I am very proud [of the award]. I had to work hard for it, but I would have never achieved it without the lads and the [national team] staff. I am still young, I am still fresh and I want more. I want to work even harder than before and then we'll see what the future holds in store for me."

Xhaka was one of the standout performers at the European championships last summer, but he has not been able to take this form to the Emirates where he has put in a series of inconsistent displays. The Swiss international has been at fault for the Gunners' flaws in midfield in recent games and when asked if he can move freely in the English capital, he replied: "I'm not going out after a 4-0 loss against Liverpool."

The midfielder also gave a glimpse on his first season in English stating his disappointment at missing out on Champions League football. Nevertheless, the Swiss is content to have lifted the FA Cup title which the Gunners have won in three of the last four seasons.
Switzerland are currently topping their World Cup qualifier group ahead of heavyweights Portugal and wins over Andorra and Latvia could see them on the cusp of World Cup qualification, although they still have a reverse fixture against the Euro 2016 champions. Regardless of his club form, Xhaka has always been up for it at the national level, and he will seize to avoid any upset in the current set of fixtures.