LONDON -- Arsene Wenger has said it is unfair to compare Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka to Chelsea star N'Golo Kante.
Wenger bought Xhaka for £35 million in the summer, but the Switzerland international has not made the same impact as Kante, who cost less when he arrived at Chelsea from Leicester.
Xhaka has been sent off twice since his arrival in North London, and Wenger said he needed to work on his tackling technique.
"They are different types of players," the Arsenal manager added.
"I think Xhaka is more [involved] in the distribution of the pass through the lines and Kante is more the ball winner with the real technique to steal the ball without making the foul.
"You compare Kante more with [Francis] Coquelin than with Xhaka. Xhaka is more a distribution player."
Xhaka has been back in Arsenal's starting lineup since completing the four-match ban that followed his second red card of the season.
But he has been booked in all five games since his return and Wenger said: "It is the way he tackles.
"It is not to hurt people, it is more the consequence of the fact that he doesn't master well the technique of tackling.
"He has improved a lot since he has arrived, I think, but he still has to work on his one against one."
Xhaka has had one of the worst disciplinary records in Europe in recent years.
His red cards for Arsenal came against Swansea and Burnley in the Premier League, although Wenger argued that neither tackle had warranted a sending off.
"I believe that he is now in a position where on the first foul he gets a yellow card. For example, on Saturday it was a soft yellow card," Wenger said.
"So he is a victim a little bit of his reputation. You see tackles of some players who are much worse than what he did who don't even get a yellow card and he got a straight red.
"When he defends well, staying on his feet, he is a fair player."