Xhaka, 33, and Henderson, 35, both returned to the Premier League this summer, joining Sunderland and Brentford respectively after several years away, and it already feels as though they were never gone.
Many doubted whether they still had the legs and expected their clubs to struggle, but experience has proven priceless. It’s still early in the season with plenty of football left to play, yet Brentford and Sunderland already look well positioned to avoid trouble.
The question now is, which of the two will finish the season having made the greater impact for their club?
The Case For Granit Xhaka
It was a busy summer for newly promoted Sunderland, signing 13 new players for a reported total of £162 million. Of all those players, the deal to bring Xhaka to the Stadium of Light was hailed as the biggest coup.
After a divisive spell at Arsenal, the Switzerland international joined Bayer Leverkusen, where he played a key role in winning the German club’s first Bundesliga title under now Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso back in 2023-24.
During his time in North London, Xhaka was often characterised as been hot headed, now with a few more years of experience under his belt, the midfielder oozes composure and has been Sunderland’s best player since their return to the big time.
Xhaka is among the top five Premier League midfielders for clearances (26) and aerial duels (20). Often dropping in to provide cover as an auxiliary centre-back, his influence has been key to Sunderland’s defensive resilience, with the side conceding only four goals across their opening six games.
He’s not just there to make up the numbers at the back, however. Xhaka’s passing has been arguably the best part of his game so far, with an impressive range of passing, he has completed 29 long balls, with an overall pass accuracy of 83.3%, resulting in three assists.
His performance in the 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest was his best so far. With Ange Postecoglou’s side having 65% of the ball, most of his work was done off the ball, winning seven duels, making eight clearances, seven ball recoveries, two blocks, two tackles and an interception, and, of course, providing the assist for Omar Alderete’s winner.
The Case For Jordan Henderson
It was a summer of upheaval for Brentford in a different kind of way. The West London club not only lost their manager, but they also lost their top goal scorer and captain to members of the traditional ‘top six.’
Henderson was brought in to replace Christian Nørgaard’s presence both on and off the pitch. A former Liverpool captain who lifted both the Premier League and Champions League, the England international brings a wealth of leadership, and it’s hard to imagine Brentford finding a better fit.
Keith Andrews has already spoken of how valuable he is in the dressing room. Saying: "For us, the way he carries himself, his presence on the pitch, his leadership qualities; I think it (signing Henderson) did go a little bit under the radar.
"There's been so much narrative around the club losing some players, Christian Nørgaard the captain being one of those who is someone who I loved working with last year and had huge admiration for.
"When he became available, I was very sure he would be the right person to have in that area of the pitch for numerous reasons."
Brentford haven’t started quite as well as Sunderland have, sitting down in 13th compared to their 5th, but they have already played two of the biggest sides in the Premier League, Chelsea and Man United, with Henderson starring in both.
He played his first full 90 minutes in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea, providing the assist for Kevin Schade’s opener with a terrific long ball that completely took the opposition midfield out of the game.
It was a similar story against United, finding a somehow still onside Igor Thiago with a looping ball before the Brazilian smashed the ball beyond Altay Bayindir to open the scoring after just eight minutes. It’s clear he still relishes those big games.
Verdict
Both players have added plenty to their respective teams, but on the pitch, Xhaka stands a cut above Henderson. The former Arsenal midfielder not only looks like Sunderland’s best signing in years, he may well prove to be the signing of the season.