Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg played a number of games against Arsenal over the years.
The Dane faced the Gunners while playing for Southampton, but it’s the North London Derbies that he will remember more.
Hojbjerg, for the most part, was a regular for Spurs. He was among the first names on the team sheet before Ange Postecoglou arrived and played a big role for them.
While doing so, Hojbjerg faced many incredible players, but he has named one former Arsenal star as one of the ‘very best’ he has ever played against.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg delivers verdict on former Arsenal star Granit Xhaka
Hojbjerg hasn’t played more games against any other player than Granit Xhaka over the years.
The two players have faced each other in Germany, England and also when Switzerland and Denmark have gone up against one other.
Xhaka and Hojbjerg have had one or two feisty altercations too over the years, but it looks like both parties have a lot of mutual respect.
The former Tottenham man, ahead of facing Xhaka for the 22nd time in his career, was asked about him.
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Hojbjerg raved about Xhaka and went as far as calling the former Arsenal captain ‘one of the very best’ players he has ever faced in his career.
Hojbjerg told Blick: “Xhaka is one of the very best opponents I’ve played against.
“He has been setting the tone in the national team for more than ten years and is very important for Switzerland and Leverkusen.”
One Arsenal star has missed Granit Xhaka so much
Arsenal sold Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2023 for £21.4 million (BBC), thus bringing an end to his seven-year stay at the Emirates.
The Gunners got closer to winning the Premier League title last season than they did in the previous campaign, but everyone who watched them will agree that Arsenal really missed Xhaka.
One player, in particular, looked nothing like his usual self because of the Swiss international’s absence – Gabriel Martinelli.
The Brazilian really struggled last season and had his problems at the start of this campaign as well.
However, with Mikel Merino fit and available now, we expect Martinelli to explode and produce incredible numbers in the coming months.