Bellerin pleads with fans to forgive Granit

HECTOR BELLERIN begged Arsenal fans to forgive Granit Xhaka for his Sunday strop.

Xhaka, 27, shouted at fans to “F*** off” after he was booed when he was substituted against Crystal Palace.

His future as captain is now in doubt but team-mate Bellerin wants the fans to get behind him, saying: “We are all humans. We all have emotions.

“Sometimes it’s not easy dealing with them.

“It’s time to lift each other up, not to push each other away. We

only win when we are together.” Xhaka left the Emirates soon after his substitution but was visited by three of his team-mates.

There was no apology from the Swiss player yesterday but Arsenal boss Unai Emery is set to shed light on the player’s state of mind today ahead of the Carabao Cup showdown with Liverpool.

Xhaka is unlikely to play at Anfield tomorrow night and ex-Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn believes Emery has to take the captaincy off him.

Winterburn said: “I think Unai Emery needs to take Xhaka out of the firing line.

“If he backs Xhaka, he will realise what supporting

heat for Emery. y It was the Spaniard’s p indecision over the captaincy capt in the first place that raised eyebrows, having h the players pick in some sort of X-Factor vote. vo

It smacked of a man unable to select selec a natural leader and was always likely like to end in tears.

Emery arrived as a the supposed antidote antido to the stagn stagnation under Arsen Arsene Wen Wenger, Arsenal is all about because if the supporters don’t agree with him – and they obviously don’t agree with Xhaka being captain at the moment – then the manager himself will come under increasing pressure.

“It has put Unai Emery in a very difficult situation.

“He has to deal with it very, very quickly.

“I hope there is an apology because Xhaka needs to realise the supporters are the ones who adore Arsenal FC.

“Some years ago, there was frustration around Bellerin but there was no reaction from him and he got on with his performances and in the end the crowd were back on side.”

only for the last year or so to reveal otherwise.

Good players are only half the battle. Emery needed to solve Arsenal’s defensive problems. He hasn’t. He needed to address their lack of steel in midfield. He hasn’t.

Where was the press against Palace on Sunday? Or the organisation at the back against Sheffield United? Why isn’t Torreira in the team? Why is Matteo Guendouzi no longer energised?

The players are taking stick for Emery’s inadequacies. He should be feeling as much of the heat right now as Xhaka.