Granit Xhaka on signing for Arsenal, Bundesliga tactics vs Premier League and why he's a 'football freak'

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Standard Sport13 October 2016

Granit Xhaka says that while he believes the Premier League and Bundesliga are "tactically and technically" on the same level, he is delighted to have swapped Borussia Monchengladbach for Arsenal.

Xhaka left Gladbach for Arsenal in a £33.8million summer deal before Euro 2016, and has impressed Gunners fans with two stunning long-range goals despite his role as a defensive midfielder.

The 24-year-old captained Switzerland for the first time during the recent international break, and suggested that his time in England is already making him a better player due to the pace of the game.

"Physically the English league is much harder then the Bundesliga," he told Arsenal Player. "The tempo is higher and there’s lots of pressure, especially here at Arsenal, where there’s a lot more expectation than at Monchengladbach.

"But technically and tactically, I think the Bundesliga is on the same level as the Premier League.

"I’ve watched a lot of Premier League in years gone by and you can see here that the people live for football. The atmosphere in the stadiums is unbelievable and it’s really fun to play here. The pitches are cut really well and I’m pleased that I’ve taken this step."

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The midfielder also revealed how deep his love of the beautiful game runs: "I’m a football freak. I’ll watch the Premier League, the Championship, League One, plus Serie A, the Bundesliga and of course the Swiss Super League. At my house there’s often football on."

Xhaka is convinced he made the right decision in joining the Gunners, saying in a Twitter Q&A with supporters: “I’m really enjoying it here. Everything goes as planned, and things are really well planned here, regardless of if we are playing home or away.

“You can see it’s a club with a lot of class and that shows with everything.

“I’m very proud to play for such a club, to be a Gunner. That makes me doubly proud to have joined this team. It’s the perfect path.”

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