Arsenal will reunite with Granit Xhaka on matchday 11 of the Premier League season as the Gunners face Sunderland. Very few would’ve expected to see Xhaka lining up against Arsenal after the midfielder’s departure from North London in 2023.

The Sunderland midfielder will face the Gunners in a competitive match for the first time since leaving the club in 2023

Granit Xhaka has claimed it will be a special reunion with Arsenal when he faces off against his old side with Sunderland over the weekend. The midfielder spent seven years with the Gunners, plenty of which were not plain sailing and came with their challenges.

Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka was called the signing of the season - and then came his biggest contribution so far with his strike against Everton.

After a successful stint at Bayer Leverkusen, Granit Xhaka made a noteworthy return to the Premier League this summer, signing with Sunderland. His prior experience with Arsenal was marked by mixed sentiments among fans, which often overshadowed his contributions.

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka remains a key figure in Mikel Arteta's starting line-up but a summer move away from the Emirates remains a real possibility for the Swiss midfielder

Xhaka, despite putting in a man-of-the-match calibre showing himself, came up short with a slightly lesser 88% pass accuracy on his end, with Geertruida also matching his standout teammate in terms of tackles and duels won.

Sunderland being fourth is tangible proof that Granit Xhaka has raised the standards. He is the Premier League s. 💪

I think it sums up just how far Sunderland have come in such a short space of time that I sit here writing this feeling disappointed that Sunderland are not currently sitting second in the Premier League table.