Arsenal: Granit Xhaka vows to come back stronger after penalty gaffe

Arsenal's new boy Granit Xhaka has revealed that he will come back stronger following his penalty miss in the round of 16 tie of the European Championships against Poland which eliminated Switzerland from the tournament. The 23-year-old was the only player to miss as Poland clinched the fixture 5-4 on penalties and progressed into the quarter-finals, where they will take on Portugal.

Xhaka was the standout player for the Swiss throughout the tournament with his intricate passing and ability to build attacks from the back but the miss poured cold water on all his hard work, something the player insists he will work on before the next major tournament. The game went into penalties as Switzerland missed a host of gilt-edged chances through the length of the second half and were level via an absolutely fantastic bicycle kick by Stoke City star Xherdan Shaqiri, a major contender for the goal of the tournament.

"I'm sorry for my team mates, for the travelling fans, for Switzerland," he told Swiss television, as quoted by the Daily Mail. "Anyone who knows me knows that I will make sure I come back even stronger."

"I took the penalty the way I always do. But I didn't connect properly with the ball. I am still a young person, only 23. This just makes me stronger. And I promise I will step up at the next penalty shootout."

Xhaka will join up with his Arsenal teammates for pre-season and will face Liverpool in his EPL debut for the Gunners at the Emirates on Saturday, 13 August, dates of which are subject to change following the announcement of the TV schedule