Graeme Souness recently demonstrated the media’s bias towards Granit Xhaka perfectly.

  • Xhaka painted as villain in British media
  • England international Alli lauded as hero
  • Souness caught out in hypocrisy

Souness has been incredibly critical of Xhaka since the midfielder signed for Arsenal from Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer.

The former Liverpool player has accused the 24-year-old of having an ‘exploding head’ and even claimed that he’s out of control.

“What isn’t registering with him? He’s obviously got the exploding head,” Souness said after Xhaka was sent off against Burnley.

However, when Spurs’ Dele Alli was sent off for a terrible tackle on Gent’s Brecht Dejaegere later in the season, Souness claimed that this was the mark of a great player and admitted that he saw something of himself in the Tottenham man.

“It was a nasty and unnecessary tackle, born out of frustration,” Souness wrote in his Sunday Times column.

“He really snapped into it, intending to leave a bit on the guy, so he got what he deserved with the red card.

“Yet that is also one of the reasons he could become a top player. Alli has a bit of devil in him, an edge that most top players possess.

“As strange as it sounds, if I was his manager, I would be quietly saying to myself: ‘Thank goodness he has got that in him.”

But the media aren’t biased against Arsenal and foreign players, no?