Granit Xhaka’s time at Arsenal is up following his angry reaction to the club’s supporters on Sunday, reckons former Tottenham striker and Gunners fan Darren Bent.
Xhaka was jeered by Arsenal fans when his number was put on the fourth official’s board in the second half of the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at the Emirates.
The captain slowly trudged off and the jeers turned to angry boos from the crowd, which led to the Switzerland international appearing to swear back at supporters and then take his shirt off and storm down the tunnel.
Bent says Xhaka’s behaviour has disrespected Arsenal and that there is no way back for him now.
“What makes it worse is he’s the captain,” Bent said on talkSPORT.
“When you’re the captain you’re at the forefront at everything – everything that’s good, everything that’s bad.
“If the team is not playing well you’re going to get criticism first and your team-mates are going to look at you.
“For me, once you tell the fans to f-off, you wave your hands up and you take the shirt off and go straight down the tunnel, for me that’s it at the club.
“I don’t like when fans boo their own players, because he is one of your own, but when you have that reaction, I just think straight away that you’re half kind of just giving in. That kind of reaction shows me that you’ve given in.
“There’s probably frustration in there as well because he’s not happy with his own performance, because he knows he hasn’t been playing very well.
“But I just think the reaction to the crowd and even to the manager, and to take your shirt off and storm down the tunnel, for me there’s no coming back from that.
“Him walking off slowly is bad, you need to get off the pitch quicker, but I think the moment you disrespect the shirt you show a lack of respect to your team-mates, people who have played for the football club in the past and everyone associated with the club.
“What happens next? The next time he walks out on the pitch he’s going to get it even more from the fans because fans will never forgive him for that.”