Granit Xhaka was fuming at his Arsenal team-mates after the Gunners conceded an injury-time equaliser against Slavia Prague on Thursday night.
A late goal from Nicolas Pepe saw the Gunners take a 1-0 lead in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final before they managed to concede an away goal in the dying embers of the game.
The first leg at the Emirates Stadium had looked set to end in a goalless stalemate as Arsenal – who play Sheffield United on Sunday – passed up a number of fine chances.
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But club-record signing Pepe would score with a deft chip with just four minutes remaining to open the scoring, only for Tomas Holes to level deep into stoppage time.
And Xhaka reportedly launched an X-rated rant at his Arsenal team-mates with Gabriel Magalhaes and Cedric Soares trying to play the ball out from the back before giving away a late corner, which Slavia Prague scored from.
Arsenal correspondent for Goal, Charlie Watts, claims ‘furious’ Xhaka was heard ‘screaming’ at the culprits at the final whistle, with the Swiss midfielder heard saying: “Just clear the fu**ing ball away man”.
F/T: 1-1
Disaster for Arsenal.
Xhaka furious at full-time, screaming at the defenders for playing themselves into trouble and giving away the corner that led to the equaliser.
“Just clear the fu**ing ball away man”.
— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) April 8, 2021
Despite the late equaliser, Mikel Arteta believes his Arsenal side can go and win the second leg and progress in the Europa League.
“I totally believe that we can go there and win the match, if not I wouldn’t be sitting here,” Arteta said.
“The mindset has to be to go there and score goals and win the game because we have to score if we want to go through.
“I think psychologically to go there with 1-0 is completely different to go there with 1-1. Now we know we have to go there and win the game – that we have to score goals and we cannot play any game, we have to go there with the determination to be an attacking team and hurt them.”
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