Jermaine Pennant claims Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka was ‘hiding’ from the ball

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Granit Xhaka has been hitting the headlines during these past few days after a controversial and dramatic game for Arsenal over the weekend.

Jermaine Pennant has claimed that Granit Xhaka was ‘hiding’ from the ball during Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Whilst the game will be remembered for Xhaka’s reaction towards the fans booing him, Pennant has suggested that he didn’t want to take charge in the middle of the park during that encounter.

Arsenal blew a two-goal lead at the Emirates Stadium, and whilst VAR ruled out a controversial winner, the performance of the home side was once again questionable.

Speaking to Jim White on TalkSport (28/10/19), former Gunners player Pennant made it clear that Xhaka simply isn’t captain material.

“You can’t sugar coat it,” Pennant told TalkSport. “It was wrong! You can’t defend that. To say that he [Emery] is going to speak with him. He has to. He knows that he has lost his head, and he wants to hear from Xhaka ‘look, I am sorry’.

On his ability to be an Arsenal player: “I’m not saying not to be an Arsenal player, but to be the captain. You look at the captains that they have had. Captains don’t behave like that. I could never see a Vieira or a Tony Adams conduct themselves in that manner.

“He doesn’t seem like a leader. The players might respect him, but I have played under captains. Steven Gerrard, he would lead the team. He would get on the ball. Xhaka against Crystal Palace didn’t want the ball. He was hiding.”

It seems as though there will be actions towards Xhaka’s reaction at the weekend, as many are calling for him to be stripped of the captaincy.

When Arsenal announced that he was to be handed the armband in the first place, it resulted in a number of fans and club legends voicing their anger towards the decision.

Ever since Xhaka walked through the doors of the Emirates Stadium for £35 million from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016 [BBC Sport], he has been a marmite-like figure, as his reputation has no doubt taken a hit from that Palace clash.