How will the Swiss players fare in the Premier League?
As the 2017-18 Premier League campaign gets underway, we look at the five Swiss players in the division and predict how they will fare this season.
Valon Behrami (Watford)
Valon Behrami has been at Watford since 2015, but the 32-year-old Switzerland international midfielder has yet to show the kind of form he exhibited when he was at Italian club Napoli. The former West Ham United man featured in 27 Premier League matches for the Hornets last season, and he will be a key figure for Marco Silva’s side in 2017-18. Behrami’s influence in midfield will be key in the Hornets' chances of finishing in the top half of the Premier League this campaign.
Prediction: Valon Behrami’s season to be 7/10
Edimilson Fernandes (West Ham United)
Edimilson Fernandes joined West Ham United in the summer of 2016 and was able to make only eight starts in the Premier League. The 21-year-old is a very talented and promising attacking midfielder, but the Switzerland international is still developing and growing as a player. With the Hammers have attacking players such as Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic, it is hard to see Fernandes get too many chances this season.
Prediction: Edimilson Fernandes’s season to be 5/10
Eldin Jakupovic (Leicester City)
Eldin Jakupovic joined Leicester City from Hull City in the summer transfer window and is expected to be a second-choice or third-choice goalkeeper. The 32-year-old, who has won just one Switzerland cap and that too back in 2008, will be behind Kasper Schmeichel and Ben Hamer in the pecking order at the King Power Stadium during the 2017-18 campaign. If you are looking to have a bit of fun, then you could use Sky Bet's Request a Bet feature, as outlined by tipping site Footy Accumulators, to wager on the number of appearances Jakupovic will make for Leicester this season.
Prediction: Eldin Jakupovic’s season to be 3/10
Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City)
In terms of sheer talent and ability, Xherdan Shaqiri is one of the best players in the Premier League, but the Stoke City winger has had injury problems in recent years and has suffered with consistency. A player blessed with pace and tricks, the 25-year-old Switzerland international often lacks the final product, reflected in just four goals and two assists in the Premier League last season and only three goals and six assists in the league during the 2015-16 campaign. Shaqiri needs a big season in order to enhance his reputation and earn a move to a bigger club, and he will step up his game this time around.
Prediction: Xherdan Shaqiri’s season to be 8/10
Granit Xhaka - Arsenal
Granit Xhaka’s debut season for Arsenal was a mixed one. Although the 24-year-old Switzerland international midfielder was relatively consistent and sprayed the passes well, he was not exactly dominant in midfield and did not always take games by the scruff of the neck. There is no doubt that the former Borussia Monchengladbach star is a brilliant footballer, and he could have a very good season at the Emirates Stadium in 2017-18.
Prediction: Granit Xhaka’s season to be 8/10