By Ryan Taylor
Granit Xhaka has told his former Arsenal team-mates all is not lost this season despite back-to-back defeats at the hands of Aston Villa and Bayern Munich.
The Gunners were cruelly dumped out of the Champions League in Germany on Wednesday night. But newly-crowned Bundesliga champion Xhaka is adamant Mikel Arteta's side can still make something of their season.
The Swiss international said after reaching the Europa League semi-finals with Bayer Leverkusen: "This is part of the game, I think it was 10 or 11 games unbeaten. When you lose one game, it doesn't mean you lost everything already.
"There are six games left in the Premier League and there is still a big chance to get the Premier League title. I wish them all the best for sure because I am still in contact with the staff and players and also still watching the games."
Xhaka, who was part of the Arsenal side that finished second to Manchester City in the Premier League last season before his £21.4million transfer to Leverkusen, insists the best is yet to come from this youthful Gunners side.
When asked whether Arsenal will lift silverware sooner or later, Xhaka continued: "I hope so because the team, the staff and the football club as well deserve to win trophies. They are very close this year as well like it was last year but football is about small details. I hope they can do it."
Meanwhile, Leverkusen are now unbeaten in 44 matches in all competitions this season following Thursday's 1-1 Europa League draw with West Ham. Xabi Alonso's side remain on course for a historic treble but Xhaka is keeping both feet firmly on the ground, despite a fairytale debut season with Leverkusen.
He said after experiencing both the highs and lows of football within the space of one year: "This is part of the game, part of life.
"I had very good times in Arsenal for seven years, we were very close to winning the Premier League last year and it was not good enough but I knew the philosophy behind this football club and that's why I moved here.
"To win something after the first year here is always extra special but we are still in other competitions, we are still in the DFB Pokal final and the Europa League semi-finals. We know that to win the Europa League you need to be ambitious. We won the league last Sunday but we still have the hunger to achieve something else."
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