Granit Xhaka and Unai Emery are once again being hammered by Arsenal fans after the appalling nature of their Premier League draw with Crystal Palace.
Arsenal legend David Seaman has backed under-fire coach Unai Emery in the ongoing Granit Xhaka saga, telling talkSPORT (29 October, 9am) that the Spaniard has handled a difficult situation brilliantly.
The captaincy curse goes on at the Emirates. And while Xhaka might not have collapsed in tears in the centre circle like William Gallas or demanded an exit like Cesc Fabregas, the Swiss international certainly didn’t cover himself in glory when he threw an almighty strop during Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.
In farcical scenes, Xhaka cupped his ears, tore off his shirt and stormed down the tunnel after a large section of Arsenal fans greeted his second half substitution with a cocktail of jeers and boos.
Emery refused to sit on the fence after the game, admitting to Sky Sports that the skipper was ‘wrong’ to react in such a way – and Seaman has backed the former Sevilla and PSG coach for his measured approach.
“Putting his hand to his ear and swearing at the crowd; its just something as an Arsenal captain you cannot do,” said ex-goalkeeper Seaman.
“You’ve just got to get on with it, get off (the pitch) and deal with it afterwards. I thought Emery was brilliant in the press conference when he said he would deal with it internally.
“The only thing that surprises me is that Xhaka hasn’t come out an apologised to the fans.”
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s EFL Cup clash with Liverpool, Emery told the BBC that Xhaka is ‘sad’ and ‘devastated’ about the situation while agreeing with Seaman that the one-time Borussia Monchengladbach star would be best served saying sorry for his actions.
But until that happens, the growing rift between Arsenal’s fans and the playing staff could widen ever further.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
