Granit Xhaka marks his expected Emirates farewell with a first-ever Arsenal brace as the Gunners end the season with a 5-0 thrashing of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Granit Xhaka marked his expected Emirates farewell with a first-ever Arsenal brace as the Gunners wrapped up a memorable Premier League season with a 5-0 thrashing of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Amid rumours of his seven-year stay in North London coming to an end, the 30-year-old had two goals to his name by the 15-minute mark, before Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Jakub Kiwior also got in on the act in the true definition of a demolition job.
Despite witnessing his team cede the title with a whimper at Nottingham Forest last weekend, Mikel Arteta unexpectedly named the same starting XI for the visit of Wolves, and his decision would be vindicated within just 10 minutes.
On what is likely to have been his final appearance in red and white, Xhaka was left unmarked in the box to head home from a Jesus delivery, and the midfielder’s name was being sung around the stadium ahead of a proposed summer departure to Bayer Leverkusen.
Xhaka’s fairytale ending would become all the more magical just four minutes after his opener, as Max Kilman tried to clear Martin Odegaard‘s backheel inside the box but only succeeded in laying the ball on a plate for the Arsenal man to calmly finish from eight yards for his second of the afternoon.
Wolves’ dreadful defending was certainly playing its part in Xhaka’s memorable adieu, and while the Swiss was saying goodbye in the right way, Saka came up with his own fitting contribution to celebrate his new long-term Emirates contract.
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Following an intricate period of build-up play involving Odegaard, Thomas Partey and Leandro Trossard, the latter played a first-time pass to Saka, who cut onto his left foot and bent a fine strike into the far corner from just inside the box in the 27th minute.
Everything that could have gone wrong for Julen Lopetegui‘s men did go wrong in the first half, but the visitors were gifted an early let-off when Partey put the ball in the back of the net just five minutes into the second period, but Ben White was adjudged to have fouled Jose Sa from a corner.
Wolves’ reprieve was short-lived, though, as with 58 minutes on the clock, Trossard’s cross from the left-hand side of the box met a charging Jesus, who directed a back-post header beyond the futile reach of Sa for Arsenal’s fourth.
There was little that the Wolves goalkeeper could have done for Jesus’s effort, but the Portuguese shot-stopper – who had been recalled over Daniel Bentley – was culpable for the hosts’ fifth in the 78th minute.
Wolves failed to deal with a corner, and Kiwior sent a tame effort towards goal on the half-volley – which should have been meat and drink for Sa – but he could only palm the centre-back’s strike into the far corner for his first Arsenal goal.
Arteta’s second-placed charges finish the season on 84 points – their best tally since the Invincibles collected 90 in 2003-04 – while Wolves end an unspectacular campaign in 13th spot.
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