Granit

This is Xhaka’s second spell in England, having played 297 times for Arsenal from 2016 until 2023.

He then joined Bayer Leverkusen where he won the title under Xabi Alonso in their unbeaten domestic season in 2023-24.

Erik ten Hag, then the Leverkusen boss, insisted Xhaka would not be sold this summer.

But the midfielder left for Sunderland, and Ten Hag was sacked a few weeks into the season.

“I didn’t expect to come back after Germany but you never know where you land,” said Xhaka.

“To be back made me happy. I knew the project to bring experience and show the guys day by day.

“It makes me happy to score a goal.”

Xhaka was a bit of a pantomine villain – and sometimes much maligned – at Arsenal.

He was sent off five times for the Gunners and spent six weeks as captain in 2019, clashed with his own fans and was stripped of the armband.

But things went better under Mikel Arteta and he became an important player before leaving in 2023 for Germany.

Carragher said: “After what he went through at Arsenal, he showed great character to come back from that. The impact he has had, if he can be part of a Sunderland team who finishes in the top 10 – or even just stays up – he will be remembered for a very long time.”

Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle: “He exemplifies a top professional.

“When he was an Arsenal player at times you felt like he was a bit of a villain. Over the years we have seen him mature and develop.

“We’ve seen a slightly more restrained version of Xhaka, but it’s actually better than the fully committed, blowing steam out of his ears sort of player that we saw at Arsenal.

“He’s a little bit more measured, calmer and a better professional. To have that in your squad especially when you’ve got a young squad, and everyone believes in him, he’s a talisman.

“We need to wrap him in cotton wool and keep him going for 38 games.”

Sean Longstaff (Leeds)

A last-gasp Bournemouth equaliser on Saturday may have been painful for the Elland Road faithful but the performance of Sean Longstaff gives Daniel Farke and co much hope for the rest of the season.

In a standout display, the former Newcastle United man both scored and assisted in an English league game for just the second time in his career, after also doing so for Blackpool v Doncaster Rovers in August 2017 in League One, to give the hosts a share of the spoils.

On top of that, Longstaff also created seven goalscoring chances for team-mates, the most by any player in a top-flight game this season and the joint-most by a Leeds player on record (since 2003-04).

Igor Thiago (Brentford)

The post-Thomas Frank era at Brentford was never going to be easy, but under the tutelage of former set-piece coach Keith Andrews the Bees are finding their feet, with Saturday’s 3-1 win over Manchester United the highlight so far.

Igor Thiago was the star of the show at Gtech Community Stadium, becoming just the second player to score twice in the opening 20 minutes of a top-flight game against United, after Alexis Sanchez for Arsenal in October 2015.

The Brazilian, who has big Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo-shaped boots to fill, secured his double from three shots in the game, with the London side’s hitman netting four of Brentford’s nine goals in the Premier League this season.

Robin Roefs (Sunderland)

Sunderland’s superb start to their first Premier League campaign since 2016-17 continued at the weekend, courtesy of a hard-fought 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest.

The visitors had goalkeeper Robin Roefs to thank with the Dutchman making six saves, a joint-high at the weekend, while he also created two goalscoring chances, with only one goalkeeper on record (Wayne Hennessey with three for Burnley v Manchester United in 2021) registering more in a Premier League game since 2003-04.

Overall, Roefs has now kept three clean sheets in six Premier League appearances this season, a haul only Newcastle United’s Nick Pope can better, with four, while his tally of 20 saves gives him a top-three ranking in the division.