Xhaka hits back at Patrice Evra’s Arsenal criticism

Granit Xhaka has hit back at Arsenal’s critics who say the Gunners are mentally weak away from home.

Unai Emery’s side missed the chance to go third in the Premier League table on Monday when they were beaten 1-0 by Sheffield United.

The loss at Bramall Lane was a fifth in the last 10 away games in the league on a night when Arsenal’s common failings were again on view.

The Gunners looked vulnerable from set-pieces and uncomfortable playing out from the back, while at the other end of the pitch top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was largely anonymous and isolated and Blades goalkeeper Dean Henderson was only forced to make one real save – from a 30-yard strike from Xhaka just before half time.

The performance prompted familiar criticism of Arsenal’s mentality, with former Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra – a studio guest during Sky Sports’ live coverage of the match – describing the Gunners as “babies” in a blistering assessment of a team he claimed he used to relish playing against.

Xhaka said: “We have to stop about mental bulls*** like this. For me, it is the same whether you play home or away – you have to win and show big character and a good game and not to always find the same excuse.”

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Addressing Evra’s comments, he added: “A lot of people they speak too much. It is not the first time he has spoken something about us.