In the latest worrying development for Arsenal following the club’s controversy-strewn draw with Crystal Palace, Alexandre Lacazette has carelessly liked a social media post, heavily criticising both manager Unai Emery and teammate Granit Xhaka.
Palace stun Arsenal
Emery’s men welcomed London rivals Palace to the Emirates yesterday evening, for a Premier League clash.
The two sides headed into proceedings separated by just a point in the English top-flight table, with hosts Arsenal having held the advantage, in 5th.
And, when the 90 minutes were said and done, the solitary point between the clubs remained intact.
This only came, though, after Arsenal blew a 2-goal advantage.
The Gunners raced out to a 2-0 lead inside the game’s opening 10 minutes, courtesy of finishes from centre-half duo Sokratis Papastathopoulos and David Luiz.
Crystal Palace, however, soon fought back, before levelling things up through Luka Milivojević and Jordan Ayew.
In addition, just to rub salt in the wounds of the hosts, VAR intervention saw what looked set to be a late Sokratis winner bafflingly ruled out.
Xhaka controversy
While the atmosphere at the Emirates was understandably tense after Arsenal’s late go-ahead goal was disallowed, it actually peaked 20 minutes earlier.
This came after Granit Xhaka’s number flashed across the 4th official’s board, indicating that the Gunners captain was set to be replaced by Bukayo Saka.
Xhaka’s substitution was quickly met by a chorus of sarcastic cheers, followed by heavy booing, on the part of the home crowd.
And the Swiss midfielder, clearly aggravated by both the scoreline and the home crowd, subsequently allowed his emotions to get the better of him:
This feels like a landmark moment for Xhaka and #afc fans. His substitution is greeted by cheers, he’s then booed as he walks off (instead of running with the score at 2-2). He then cups his ear to the crowd, shouts “f*** off”, takes his shirt off and walks down the tunnel.
— James Olley (@JamesOlley) October 27, 2019
Lacazette’s questionable social media activity
Xhaka’s actions have since been met by a heavy backlash on the part of the Arsenal faithful, with one high-profile supporter, in the form of AFTV’s Troopz, having taken to social media to slam his side’s captain.
The Instagram post also took aim at Unai Emery, suggesting that the Spanish tactician’s time in north London is up:
And, in just the latest in a mounting list of concerns for the Gunners, it has since been revealed that Alexandre Lacazette actually liked Troopz’s post, as showcased below:
Alex Lacazette openly liking an Instagram post wanting Emery and Xhaka out. They need to do a Netflix Doc about this Club De Football. pic.twitter.com/i7glekjWZa
— AFCAMDEN (@AFCAMDEN) October 27, 2019
Ian Wright calls on Xhaka to apologise to Arsenal fans after Crystal Palace
