Arsenal made a difficult decision to part ways with midfielder Granit Xhaka last season, and he has since thrived at Bayer Leverkusen.
Xhaka enjoyed a roller-coaster seven-year spell with Arsenal, having nearly left the club after a fallout with the fanbase under Unai Emery in 2019, before enjoying a rejuvenation under Mikel Arteta.
The Switzerland captain was outstanding last year as Arsenal fell just short of the Premier League title, and he had become one of the more popular players within the squad.
However, he still decided to leave, and Arsenal cashed in given that he had one year remaining on his deal. Xabi Alonso brought him to Leverkusen, and they have since embarked on a 49-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
This continued as Leverkusen reached the Europa League final after a 2-2 draw with Serie A giants Roma, which secured a 4-2 aggregate win, and Xhaka was arguably the best player on the pitch.
Former Arsenal hero Granit Xhaka inspires Leverkusen to comeback victory
Leverkusen’s unbeaten run was again at risk as they found themselves 2-0 down at home to Roma in the Europa League semi-final, but Xhaka’s presence in the middle of the park helped them inspire a comeback.
Xhaka completed 90 passes, the most out of anyone on the pitch as he ran the game from midfield, but in addition to dictating play, he was also a creative force.
He completed eight of his nine attempted long balls, but astonishingly, he created 10 chances, all of which came from open play.
His creativity appeared to be going to waste until Josip Stanisic scored the equaliser from his excellent pass, and this capped off a truly sensational performance from Xhaka, and one which equalled a Europa League record.
His 10 chances were the most anyone has made in a Europa League match since 2010, when Juan Mata, then of Valencia, created 10 chances against Club Brugge.
Granit Xhaka has evolved into creative genius since leaving Arsenal
Although his final season at Arsenal saw Xhaka thrive in a more advanced role, he was still never considered the creative hub of the team when compared to Martin Odegaard.
Xhaka has played alongside some elite creative midfielders such as Santi Cazorla, Mesut Ozil and Odegaard, but he is now playing like them.
He has now become a creative genius, helping Leverkusen attack with speed and dynamism, and his performance against Roma actually eclipsed the best creative performances from Odegaard.
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Odegaard recently dominated Chelsea, creating eight chances from open play in a 5-0 win, and this was the most by any Arsenal player since Ozil achieved the same feat in 2017.
It therefore speaks volumes that Xhaka managed to exceed this, whilst playing in a central midfield role, whilst inspiring a comeback in difficult circumstances for his side.