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MIKEL ARTETA has called Granit Xhaka’s red card against Burnley “absolutely unacceptable”, calling it “worse than Nicolas Pepe’s.”
The Swiss midfielder was sent off in the 1-0 loss after a fight saw him grab Ashley Westwood by the neck.
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After initially receiving a yellow card, referee Graham Scott reviewed the VAR and changed his decision to direct red.
With the Gunners with ten men, Burnley won 1-0, his first victory at Arsenal, when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored an own goal.
And Spanish coach Arteta, who has now seen the pressure on him increase even further, was far from impressed with Xhaka.
When asked if Xhaka’s red card was ‘unacceptable’ like Pepe vs Leeds earlier this month, Arteta said: “Same words.
“In these even worse conditions. The conditions we are in, without winning football games, you can’t do that.
“I think it’s related to how much will and energy they want to put into the games that cross the line.
“It’s not an excuse because I want to be brave and be there to do what we have done today again, because you just give the opponent the game.”
Pepe was suspended for three games before being brought back into the squad – Xhaka will now miss Arsenal’s next three league games.
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The Spaniard added: “[Xhaka’s] he made a mistake, the dominance we had at the time … it’s a game that we clearly had to win, but with ten men you give the opponent a chance.
“Yes, it is unacceptable to do that action, but it is because they are very willing to do more, fight more, and this time Granit went overboard.
“We cannot make that mistake because it is the wrong approach for us.”
A seventh loss in 12 Premier League games means Arsenal are now fighting for 15th place and without a win in five.
Arsenal host Southampton on Wednesday, before a trip to Everton on Saturday.
Arteta added: “I prefer to play in 72 hours. The players are suffering.
“Thank you very much to the fans because I think they were tremendously behind the team with the support they were giving, and knowing how difficult it has been for us in this competition in recent weeks.
“I think they react like this because they see the team, how they try and how they do it, how much passion they put into the game without limitations.”
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