Arsenal were on Monday considering whether to fine and strip Granit Xhaka of the captaincy for his show of dissent towards the club’s supporters during yesterday’s 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace.
Cheers rang around Emirates Stadium as head coach Unai Emery opted to substitute Xhaka after 61 minutes, quickly turning to boos as the midfielder walked slowly off the pitch with the Gunners desperately chasing a winning goal.
Xhaka then goaded fans and appeared to tell them to “f*** off” twice before taking his shirt off and heading straight down the tunnel.
It is believed that Xhaka was visited by several team-mates at his house last night while meetings were planned today to discuss the club’s official response to a remarkable sequence of events.
Xhaka, who currently earns around £100,000-a-week, is expected to be fined for his reaction. There is sympathy internally towards Xhaka with several players understood to be shocked by the level of vitriol aimed at the 28-year-old, believing he has been made a scapegoat for criticism of Emery.
Defender Hector Bellerin used Twitter to express his support this morning and plead for unity among fans : “We are all humans, we all have emotions, and sometimes it's not easy dealing with them. It's time to lift each other up, not to push each other away. We only win when we are together.”
Pictures emerged overnight of Lucas Torreira visibly shaken by the toxic atmosphere and Emery has a tightrope to walk in determining the appropriate punishment for Xhaka given his role as captain was determined by the players in a secret vote.
However, the dramatic deterioration in his relationship with a large section of fans makes it difficult for him to continue – there were unconfirmed reports that Xhaka’s car was struck by coins thrown by supporters as he left the stadium last night.
Emery has a leadership group containing four other players who could step in, last month naming deputies to Xhaka – in order – as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bellerin, Alexandre Lacazette and Mesut Ozil.
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