Xhaka using Arsenal title collapse as motivation to get the better of Kane
Granit Xhaka has admitted he is using his experience of last season's title collapse at Arsenal as motivation with his Bayer Leverkusen side closing in on a historic Bundesliga success.
Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen are unbeaten in 34 matches across all competitions this season and sit 10 points clear at the top of the league table. With just 10 games to go, it's looking like Leverkusen will break Bayern Munich's impeccable 11-year Bundesliga title winning streak, with further success expected for the Bavarian giants when they signed Harry Kane in the summer.
However, Xhaka is not taking anything for granted and has urged his team to stay focused on the task in hand after Arsenal threw an eight-point lead away to lend Manchester City the title last season. The midfielder, who moved to Leverkusen from the Gunners back in July, is using that to his advantage.
Speaking after Leverkusen beat Koln 2-0 to stretch their winning run to six matches, Xhaka said: "It's good and we can be proud of it, but nothing is won yet. I'm speaking about my own experience of what happened last season.
"I think it was similar points over second and we didn't win the league so I know the experience and this is what I share with the dressing room as well. Of course ten points is a lot in football when you have ten games left but ten points when there's another 30 points you can take, it's not over."
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Assessing how his experience can help Leverkusen during the business end of the season, Xhaka added: "For sure and they know, they're asking me day by day, 'you've been in this situation as well, how was it what happened'.
"I tried to explain it but you can’t explain with words, you have to feel it, that’s why you have to stay humble you have to take it day by day and let’s see where we are after 34 games."
Granit Xhaka's Bayer Leverkusen are 10 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga (Getty Images)Will Bayer Leverkusen win the Bundesliga? Let us know in the comments below!
Goals from Jeremie Frimpong and Alejandro Grimaldo earned Leverkusen a hard-fought win over 10-man Koln on Sunday, but Alonso was not majorly impressed with his side's performance.
He said: "It's to early to say (that I'm a good manager). Earlier, I saw Hamburg versus Osnabrück and Hamburg lost against ten men. And today, it was never spectacular and never easy."
The Spaniard added: "They defend deeper with ten men. There is not as much space. Of course, we had a lot of the ball and control but we couldn't make too many chances."
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