Hapless Xhaka baffled by Arsenal’s away day woes after eighth loss of season at Leicester
Swiss star believes winning the Europa League is now their best hope of securing Champions League qualification
GRANIT XHAKA has admitted he is baffled as to why Arsenal are so awful away from home following yesterday's defeat at Leicester.
The Gunners have now lost EIGHT Premier League games on their travels - more than any top ten team apart from Everton.
Xhaka insists Arsenal, who were thrashed 3-0 by the foxes on Sunday, do not lack “fight” under Unai Emery.
But he cannot fathom why their form on the road is so much worse than it is at the Emirates, where they have only been beaten twice this term.
The Swiss midfielder, 26, said: “It is difficult to explain why we don’t play like we do at home and don’t take the points.
“We fight. It is not that we don’t fight because if we don’t fight, we don’t go to play.
“But it is difficult to explain. It is a different game away and at home. We have to play not like at home.
“You have to win the duels, you have to run more than the opposition because the fans are behind them and all the teams in the Premier League can play football and fight.”
Arsenal’s loss at Leicester was their third league defeat in a week and has left them two points outside the top four.
'THREE BIG CHANCES'
And Xhaka believes that winning the Europa League is now the Gunners' best hope of securing Champions League qualification.
Emery's side host Valencia on Thursday in the first leg of their semi-final.
And Xhaka said: "If you are in the semi-final, of course that is our best chance. If you are in the semi-final, you are two games from the final.
“So now is not the right moment to speak about the top four.
“We had three big chances, starting against Crystal Palace, last Wednesday against Wolverhampton and on Sunday at Leicester.
“And you don’t take three points in these games, we have not to speak about the top four at the moment."
Xhaka, though, worryingly admits Arsenal’s confidence has taken a battering ahead of Valencia's visit.
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He added: “The confidence, you take only if you win, if you fight, if you have a good result.
“We are all disappointed in the dressing room and not happy, of course not. But we have to look forward and the next game is Thursday.
“I know anything can happen but if you are three games from a title, you have to think positive.”