Arsene Wenger has compared Granit Xhaka to a former Arsenal star.

The Swiss midfielder has made a positive impact since arriving from Borussia Monchengladbach for in excess of £30million this summer and was again in fine form in the 3-1 win over Watford on Saturday.

More attempted passes, more tackles and the most ground covered were just some of the stats the 23-year-old topped on the day which prompted Wenger to recall similar performances from ex-Gunners ace Emmanuel Petit.

"He is a guy who plays naturally behind the ball. He is a bit similar to Petit in the way he plays football," Wenger told arsenal.com.

"He likes to sit, give good long balls and be available with the centre-backs.

"He has a good engine, good stature, he is good in the air and has a good balance in his game, he has a good short ball and a good long ball.

"He is (almost) 24 years old, he has already experience abroad and that is always a problem and is more reassuring when a player has already played abroad somewhere.

"He was captain at his age at Monchengladbach, that is not a small club so he has leadership qualities."