Darren Bent believes ’s players may turn on Granit Xhaka after the midfielder slammed his team-mates following their 2-0 defeat at .
Xhaka, 29, was left frustrated after the Gunners suffered their second Premier League loss on the bounce at St James’s Park and fell two points behind Tottenham in the race for a spot.
Speaking after the match, the Swiss star suggested his side lacked courage and told those who were nervous they should have ‘stayed at home.’
However, former Tottenham striker Bent thinks Xhaka’s comments were out of order and may cause damage in the dressing room at the Emirates.
Speaking to , he said: ‘Maybe it’s because it’s Xhaka and maybe that’s a bit unfair, because at times, he’s let Arsenal down.
‘Even this season, red cards silly mistakes. If he’s talking solely about last night, I can understand it.
‘But from the dressing room perspective, I can imagine players who have performed more consistently than he has, looking at him thinking, “The cheek for you to come out and say that after some of the performances you’ve put in!”
‘When you hear him speak, he looks like a really good guy. But there will be players in the dressing room thinking, “Hold on a second – you’re digging us out? Look at yourself over the last few seasons, you’ve let us down and you’re supposed to be one of the senior players!”‘
Since arriving at Arsenal in 2016, Xhaka’s time at the club has been blighted by a poor disciplinary record.
Three years ago, he fell out with the Arsenal supporters after throwing his shirt to the ground in response to being booed off the pitch.
Meanwhile, this season he has been sent off twice and was at fault for giving away a penalty to Manchester City in the league after the Gunners were leading 1-0.
Before Mikel Arteta’s men faced Tottenham last Thursday, Arsenal were four points ahead of their north London rivals.
But back-to-back defeats have put Tottenham two points in front with Antonio Conte’s team needing only a draw against already-relegated Norwich City on the final day to secure Champions League football.
The repercussions of not qualifying for Europe’s top table will be significant for Arteta, likely affecting his summer transfer plans.
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