Arsenal have just conceded one of the silliest goals all season long.
The Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw away to Burnley this afternoon after Chris Wood equalised on 39 minutes, cancelling out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s early opener.
But there was more than an element of farce about the way in which Arsenal were pegged back.
Granit Xhaka inexplicably miscued a cross to David Luiz inside his own box, but it hit off Wood and trickled over the line.
And although Xhaka – sent off against Burnley in the reverse fixture – is the easy target, Martin Keown feels that Bernd Leno deserves more blame.
It was the German goalkeeper – a £22 million signing in 2018 – who passed to Xhaka in the first place instead of booting the ball down field.
And the legendary Arsenal defender claims the former Bayer Leverkusen stopper is largely responsible.
He said on BT Sport: “The ball should be launched by the goalkeeper. He plays it in, OK Xhaka gives it away and he shouldn’t, it’s his mistake but don’t give it him. You’ve got to recognise when the opposition are right on top of you. I think Leno should go long there. He doesn’t then the worst nightmare happens and Xhaka gives away yet another goal.”
To be frank, neither covered themselves in much glory, but Xhaka simply has to take more blame.
What the Swiss midfielder did was far crazier than Leno passing to him, with the former Borussia Monchengladbach star also needlessly taking a touch in the box when he should have played it to Luiz first time.
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