Presenter Laura Woods Launches Scathing Attack On Granit Xhaka And His Arsenal Teammates

Xhaka was sent off just before the hour mark for grabbing Ashley Westwood by the throat in Sunday night's 1-0 home defeat to Burnley.

It was the latest act of indiscipline by Xhaka who was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy in November 2019 for swearing at Gunners fans when he was substituted during a game against Crystal Palace.

And Arsenal fan Woods, who also works for Sky Sports, didn't hold back.

Speaking on Monday's breakfast show on talkSPORT, she said: "What really winds me up is that Arsenal are meant to be a top team in the Premier League.

"They're all probably on excellent wages at that club. You live in London and have a great life. You've got a manager coming in who wants to play great football - potentially - and you don't have the discipline to be a professional footballer and conduct yourself on the pitch in the way you're supposed to.

"Granit Xhaka has had numerous warnings before. He's had the wrath of Arsenal fans. He was the captain and had it stripped off him.

"He's had numerous chances again and again, and at that moment there's literally no excuse for it.

"Don't throttle a player who wasn't even really involved and is probably one of the smallest players on the pitch!

"It wasn't even a fiery moment of madness; there were two moments in there and he had the opportunity to walk away and he didn't. And he carried on and throttled Ashley Westwood and got sent off, quite rightfully.

"[Mohamed] Elneny could have been sent off as well and we could have been down to nine men. It could have been even worse, and I think we're quite lucky to get away with a 1-0 loss at home.

"Why are you a Premier League footballer and can't control yourself on the pitch?

"Whether or not you think Mikel Arteta is the right man for the job, he's the one who will have to suffer for it.

"And the Arsenal fans who paid their money to watch that after not going for nine months get to watch that dross...

"I don't know where to start with it, because I feel like there are players in that dressing room who don't want to play for him, probably don't want to play for themselves...

I just don't get it."

The loss to the Clarets was Arsenal's fourth straight home league defeat.