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Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has revealed how vice-captain Granit Xhaka lifted the team's morale during the Gunners' recent 3-1 win over arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby.
Arsenal consolidated their position at the top of the Premier League table with their seventh win in eight matches at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday (October 1). Thomas Partey opened the scoring before Harry Kane leveled things from the penalty spot in the first half.
Gabriel Jesus put his team ahead four minutes after the break, while Emerson Royal was sent-off in the 62nd minute. Xhaka doubled the lead for the hosts soon after and secured a morale-boosting win.
Speaking to The Times, Martinelli highlighted Xhaka's importance both as a leader and as an example for the younger players in the squad. He said:
"Xhaka is an amazing lad. You see how much he dedicates himself to the team, how much he cares about the match and the players as well, he is definitely one of our leaders."
He added:
"Right after our first goal against Tottenham, he calls everybody into a huddle, asking us to stay calm and saying we will score more goals. That's when you see how important he is to all players. For young players like me and Bukayo [Saka], it's very important to have a team-mate like him."
Xhaka, who arrived from Borussia Monchengladbach for £35 million in 2016, has been in impressive form this season. He has registered two goals and three assists in nine matches for the Gunners.
Arsenal are next scheduled to face Bodo/Glimt in their second UEFA Europa League fixture at home on Thursday (October 6).
Granit Xhaka wishes for continuous improvement of Arsenal's season
Speaking to the club's official website, Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has issued a positive message of motivation following the club's excellent start to the ongoing 2022-23 campaign. He said:
"Our results show you how hard we were working in pre-season to get to this position. At the moment, we are doing well and it's not usual to win five games in a row in the Premier League, at the start or not. But we still have a lot of games ahead of us."
He added:
"We can improve and that's the good thing, we can see those improvements. It's always good when you can get better and I have a good feeling that we are on the right way with that. The most important thing now is keeping our focus day by day, keep working and afterwards, let's see how far it takes us."
Arsenal are currently atop the Premier League table with 21 points from eight games. The club will lock horns with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday (October 9).
