Sunderland vs Arsenal: Xhaka Hails Le Bris As ‘Small Arsene Wenger’

Granit Xhaka has compared Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris to legendary Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger ahead of his emotional return to face his former club.

According to Ireporter Online, Xhaka praised Le Bris for his calm personality, tactical intelligence and meticulous approach to coaching, saying the Sunderland manager possesses several qualities that remind him of Wenger.

“I call him like the small Arsene Wenger,” Xhaka told TNT Sports. “As a human being, he’s top. He’s very calm, he’s not a guy who screams, he has all the solutions and tactically, he’s amazing.

Xhaka has worked under several highly regarded managers during his career, including Wenger, Unai Emery, Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso. His experience under different coaches has given him an insight into various approaches to management.

The Sunderland captain said Le Bris’ attention to detail has particularly impressed him, noting that the French coach goes beyond analysing opponents and pays close attention to individual players.

“He’s very detailed. So if he analyses something – not just the opponent, but even us and more the individual meetings – he’s very detailed,” Xhaka said.

According to the midfielder, Le Bris has helped several Sunderland players improve since his arrival, with further progress still possible within the squad.

“He goes into details that I haven’t seen often in a coach. So every player here has improved over the last 16 months and I think there is still space to improve for everyone,” he added.

Le Bris brought Xhaka to Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen last summer, with the experienced midfielder quickly becoming an important figure in the team.

Under Le Bris, Sunderland finished seventh in their first season back in the Premier League and secured European football after exceeding expectations following their promotion.

The upcoming meeting with Arsenal will carry added significance for Xhaka, who spent seven years with the North London club before leaving in 2023.

Now one of Sunderland’s most experienced players, the Switzerland international said he sees leadership as a responsibility that requires him to set the standard for his teammates.

“If I’m not the guy who’s taking the first step, who is following me? I’m a guy who demands a lot from himself,” Xhaka said.

“I never show the finger first to others before I show it to myself.”

Xhaka also stressed that his demanding personality comes from his desire to win rather than a tendency to complain.

“I want to win. And I want to win if I’m at home, I want to win when I’m on the pitch in training, and I want to win in the weekend games as well. This is me,” he said.