If you're nervous stay home, Xhaka tells team-mates after Newcastle defeat
Arsenal
defender Granit Xhaka criticised his team-mates after their performance in
Monday's 2-0 defeat at Newcastle, saying: "If you're nervous stay at
home."
The
midfielder felt his side's display showed they could not handle the pressure of
chasing a top-four spot.
Victory
would have moved them above Tottenham into the Champions League places with one
game remaining.
"If
someone isn't ready for this game, stay at home," he said.
"It
doesn't matter your age. If you're nervous, stay on the bench or stay at home.
You need people to come here and play. It's one of the most important games for
us. We're feeling very disappointed for the people who came over here."
However,
speaking on Sky Sports, former Manchester United defender Gary Neville
criticised Xhaka's comments.
"He's
having a right dig at players in the dressing room," Neville said.
"I
hope he wasn't having a go at these young players. He has been a disgrace at
times, getting sent off etcetera. He has left it up in the air there."
The
result means Arsenal must beat Everton at home on Sunday and hope Tottenham -
two points ahead and with a much better goal difference - lose at relegated
Norwich.
"We
wanted to have a big game but it didn't happen," Xhaka said in interview
with BBC.
"People
speak always about leaders. We're not playing tennis, we're playing football.
If someone is not ready for this pressure, stay at home.
"You
can't come here and play like this. We looked very bad today. The gameplan was
totally different. We played a totally different game.
"They
were running us over from the first minute to the 96th. When you play like
this, you don't deserve to play in the Champions League.
"The
thing is the pressure. If you can't handle the pressure, it ends like today. It
looks like we can't do something against the pressure."
Ben
White's own goal gave Newcastle the lead early in the second half before Bruno
Guimaraes added a deserved second late on.
"If
Tottenham lose and we win, you never know in football," added Xhaka.
"We
have to hope. Before the game everything was in our hands. It's a totally
different game now."
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