Granit Xhaka has defended his instincts on the pitch that have resulted in a number of red cards, and insisted he can’t change the way he plays.
The Arsenal midfielder was sent off against Liverpool in the first-leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final tie, leaving his teammates to play for 65 minutes with ten men as they held on for a 0-0 draw.
It was the fifth red card of Xhaka’s Arsenal career, but he has hit back at criticism of his performances by suggesting it is too easy to make judgements with hindsight on split-second decisions.
“It’s not like I’m planning this,” Xhaka told Sky Sports.
“It’s not like I’m doing this on purpose. But sometimes, I am in a position where I have to take a 50/50. It’s risky, of course. Now people will say, ‘Yeah, but why do you always [take] risks?
“This is who I am. I can’t change myself from today to tomorrow. Of course, I need to improve and I know I need to improve.
“But in this moment, if Jota takes the ball and he scores, they will say again, ‘Why didn’t you stop him?’ Now, I stop him, they say, ‘Why do you get the red card?’
“In the end, after the game, everyone is smarter than in the moment - myself as well. Of course, when I see it back now and say, ‘Do I need to go into the duel or not?’ No.
“But it is a moment, a second, where I have to make a decision and this time I made the wrong one and I feel sorry for the team, I feel sorry for the supporters, but thanks God they did an amazing job after that.”
Xhaka also gave away a penalty in Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat at home to Man City earlier this month, after a VAR review decided he had brought down Bernardo Silva in the box.
His Gunners teammate Aaron Ramsdale was critical of the inconsistency shown in that match, and Xhaka has called for football to get rid of VAR and instead accept the referee’s decision, even if mistakes are made.
“If you if you look in slow motion, every duel, every foul looks too much,” Xhaka said.
“They go to VAR and check and check and check. The thing is, they are checking two pictures, three pictures, and they are not seeing all the action.
“I hope that in the future the referees can make their own decisions. Don’t let the people from outside look in slow motion and stuff like this because I believe in a slow motion, everything looks harder than it is.
“In the end, they are human beings as well. They make mistakes as well. This is part of the job. Everyone makes mistakes. We have to accept decisions and look forward.”
