Xhaka claims Arsenal red card vs Man City ‘wasn’t checked by VAR’ and sending off makes mockery of ‘English toughness’
GRANIT XHAKA claims his red card in Arsenal’s 5-0 defeat by Manchester City wasn’t even checked by VAR.
And he also said that he had seen much tougher tackles that were not even given as fouls.
Xhaka reckons his lunge on Joao Cancelo – which referee Martin Atkinson thought was too reckless and worthy of a red card – would have been overturned on video.
The Swiss midfielder claims Atkinson’s decision to send him off makes a mockery of the Premier League‘s so-called toughness.
As the Swiss international reckons he’s seen plenty of harsher tackles that haven’t even been given as fouls.
The 28-year-old said: “About the red card: brutally surprising! With the PL people often talk about English toughness.
“I hit the ball 100% & got a red. The pictures weren’t checked by the VAR. I’ve seen tougher tackles that weren’t even assessed as a foul.”
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta echoed Xhaka’s claims, despite being furious that his player would put in such a reckless challenge.
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Arteta fumed: “I am (angry) because of the consequences that it had to the team.
“I must say that the line we are being judged with is really, really thin because we have seen actions like that in the first two Premier League games and nothing happened and I am disappointed.”
However, celebrity Gunners fan Piers Morgan had no sympathy for Xhaka and slammed him for his irrational tackle.
Morgan said: “Xhaka is brain-dead. What a stupid reckless tackle.”
Arsenal fans on the other hand were torn over the incident, with some also blasting Xhaka, while some leapt to his defence.
One fan wrote: “Red card or not I couldn’t care less why is Xhaka dumb enough to dive in like that with two feet?”
And another who agreed with Xhaka said: “He literally won the ball.”
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