Arsenal legend Ian Wright has come to the defence of Granit Xhaka, refuting claims that the midfielder’s heated confrontation with Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold “lifted” the Anfield crowd and contributed to the team’s inability to hold on to their lead during the recent 2-2 draw.
Arsenal started strong at Anfield, with goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus giving them a two-goal lead.
However, the tide turned when Xhaka clashed with Alexander-Arnold, resulting in both players receiving yellow cards. Liverpool quickly capitalised on the charged atmosphere, with Mohamed Salah scoring quickly after and Roberto Firmino levelling the match late on.
Despite pundits like Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher criticising Xhaka’s actions, Wright believes the midfielder has been unfairly targeted as a scapegoat.
On Match of the Day 2, Wright said, “It doesn’t take too much to get that crowd going. Even if Granit Xhaka went in there and slapped someone, it’s not going to get that crowd any more going than they were gonna get going.”
Wright praised Xhaka’s performance this season and explained that the narrative surrounding the player’s actions is unwarranted.
He added, “The fact is, he’s been brilliant for us this season. I think the narrative is people are trying to point at someone. That’s how he plays, that’s probably how he plays in his back garden.”
Rather than blaming Xhaka, Wright emphasised the need for Arsenal to learn from the match and focus on maintaining their strong first-half performances. He concluded, “We should be delighted with that point. We haven’t won there since 2012, so we’ve got to take that point and be very happy.”
Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, however, expressed confusion over Xhaka’s actions.
Neville said, “He cannot get involved. He’s been so good for Arsenal this season. That’s exactly what Liverpool would want.”
Carragher echoed this sentiment, calling Xhaka’s actions “ridiculous.”
Arsenal’s focus now turns to their next fixture as they continue their pursuit of success in the Premier League while Neville and Carragher continue to construct narratives.