Granit Xhaka can be new Emmanuel Petit at Arsenal, says manager Arsene Wenger after Watford performance

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Arsene Wenger believes he has unearthed the new Emmanuel Petit in £30million summer signing Granit Xhaka.

The Switzerland international played a vital role for the Gunners as they secured their first Premier League win of the season.

And the 23-year-old is certain to play a central role for Wenger’s side as they look to mount a sustained title challenge.

Arsene Wenger believes Granit Xhaka (right) can be his new Emmanuel Petit at Arsenal

The midfielder played an important screening role against Watford in the Premier League

Petit played the same role for the Gunners during a successful spell in north London

Shielding the space in front of his back four, Xhaka has a style of play which is unspectacular, but judging by his display at Vicarage Road, his capture from Borussia Monchengladbach looks like an astute move.

Petit played a similar role for Arsenal in the late 1990s, helping the club to a Premier League title and an FA Cup triumph. The similarities have not gone unnoticed by the Arsenal manager, who will complete a £50m double deal for Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez on Monday.

If Wenger had had his way then Xhaka would have been at the Emirates during the winter transfer window, but the Frenchman is happy to have his new midfield enforcer on board at last. ‘He is a guy who plays naturally behind the ball, he is a bit similar to Petit in the way he plays football,’ Wenger said.

‘He likes to sit, give good long balls and be available to the centre backs.

Wenger pointed to the experience Xhaka has after captaining Borussia Monchengladbach

‘I believe he has a good mixture of short and long balls. In midfield it is important for us to sometimes stretch the defenders.

‘We have a game that is based on shorter passes than that of other teams so sometimes you have a player who can kick the longer ball. It gives us a chance to get some oxygen and some space.

‘Xhaka also has a good engine, good stature, he is good in the air and has a good balance in his game, he has a good short ball and a good long ball. 

Xhaka has a good engine, good stature and is good in the air according to Wenger post-match

‘He has experience of playing abroad and that is always helpful. It is more reassuring when a player has already played abroad somewhere. He was captain at Monchengladbach — that is not a small club so he has leadership qualities, too. 

‘He has big focus and I think he is mentally strong.’

Meanwhile, Watford centre back Younes Kaboul insists manager Walter Mazzarri’s struggles with the English language will not pose a major problem this season.

Kaboul, the former Tottenham and Sunderland defender, endured a torrid Watford debut, but is confident things will improve.

‘He is learning and improving,’ said Kaboul. ‘He’s a manager with a lot of experience in Italy and has a new challenge here.

Younes Kaboul (left) insisted there were no issues with Walter Mazzarri's limited English

‘He definitely gets his ideas across. It’s clear straight away what he wants. He can be very tough. He’s someone who really knows what he wants.

‘The lesson for now is to be together and fight on the pitch, to bring our quality. It’s only three games into the season. The next two will be very important for us.’

Watford face an FA fine for having been shown six yellow cards against Arsenal.