Unai Emery has criticised Granit Xhaka for his emotional reaction to being cheered off by supporters at the Emirates on Sunday, and he has certainly made a bold call with his response.
Xhaka was substituted in the second-half of Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday; a decision that was greeted with cheers from the Emirates faithful who were happy to see him being taken off.
The midfielder responded by urging the fans to be louder with their cheers before cupping his hands to his ears, swearing towards the supporters, taking his top off and going straight down the tunnel.
And Emery has offered his verdict on the incident, suggesting Xhaka’s role as club captain will now be discussed following his reaction.
Twitter: Unai Emery on Xhaka’s reaction to being booed: “Xhaka was wrong. We are going to speak to him & decide with the clu… https://t.co/cIchqABgq1 (@afcstuff)
READ ARSENAL VERDICT
Emery has certainly made his point clear by publicly criticising Xhaka for his reaction, and the Arsenal boss’ response will no doubt add to the widespread debate regarding the incident.
Some will side with Emery’s criticism and suggest Xhaka was wrong to react in the manner he did, while others have blamed the supporters in the stadium for the part they played in the incident.
Meanwhile, Emery will also no doubt come in for criticism himself for his response, and the way in which he handles this situation could have a huge impact on the Gunners’ season.
