"He has not got the excuse of youth or naivety" - Andy Gray slams Arsenal star for his 'crimes' against Manchester City
Former striker Andy Gray has slammed Arsenal star Granit Xhaka for giving away a penalty against Manchester City when the two sides met on Saturday.
Arsenal made a bright start to their Premier League clash with Manchester City. The Gunners' performance in the first 45 minutes of the game saw them go into the half-time break with a one-goal lead, thanks to Bukayo Saka.
However, a couple of costly errors in the space of five minutes in the second half saw the game slip away from Arsenal's hands. Xhaka gave away a penalty that allowed Manchester City to equalize.
Expressing his thoughts after the game, Andy Gray hit out at Arsenal midfielder Xhaka for giving Manchester City the chance to equalize. The Scot insisted that the 29-year-old is not reliable since he tends to be 'nuts at times'. Gray told BeIN Sports:
"If you look at who committed the crimes, it was two of their most senior players. Certainly, Xhaka has not got the excuse of youth and naivety. He is just nuts at times. He gets himself in trouble. You wouldn't want to rely on him would you because how many times has he had that. He has been sent off [this season] and he has given away a stupid penalty today."
A committed performance…
But it ends in defeat at Emirates Stadium. https://t.co/RnUhXuJPpI
Two minutes later, defender Gabriel was given his marching orders after receiving two avoidable yellow cards. Rodrigo went on to find the back of the net in stoppage time, giving Pep Guardiola's side a 2-1 win.
Gray also criticized Gabriel for getting sent off and eventually costing Arsenal the game. He said:
"We know Gabriel is more experienced. He is not old but he is more experienced as well. He should know, 'I'm on a yellow card, so I daren't offer the referee an opportunity to send me off.' Within less than a minute after missing that chance, he is off!"
🗣️ "If you look at who committed the 'crimes' today... It was two of their more senior players. Xhaka at 30+ has not got the excuse of youth or naivety, he's just nuts at times!"
Andy Gray provides his assessment of @Arsenal's defeat.
#beINPL #ARSMCI https://t.co/fe2sc4jf6i
Who do Arsenal face next?
Arsenal will be looking to bounce back from their defeat against Manchester City when they face Liverpool on Thursday. The Gunners are set to lock horns with Jurgen Klopp's side in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta's side, though, will be without Gabriel for the clash. The Brazilian defender will serve a one-match ban after being sent off against Manchester City today.
Arsenal will then face Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Sunday.