Arseblog News understands that Arsenal players want Granit Xhaka to continue as captain of the club, despite his meltdown at the Emirates on Sunday.

The Swiss international reacted to jeers from the fans when he was being taken off for Bukayo Saka, cupping his ear to the crowd, mouthing insults, and taking his shirt off before going down the tunnel.

It has created a difficult situation, with the 27 year old only officially appointed to the role a few weeks ago, and it’s believed that the majority of the squad want Xhaka to remain as captain.

The midfielder’s agent flew to London today for discussions with the club, and to meet with Unai Emery and Technical Director Edu.

Arsenal were hopeful that a statement could be issued at some point today, but there has been no agreement as to the wording and thus no communication has been made.

Media reports this evening have suggested that Emery will seek the opinion of the squad as he looks to deal with the problem, much like he did when it came to choosing his captains. Rather than show leadership and decisiveness himself, he is choosing to defer to the players before making a decision.

Xhaka’s position does feel untenable, and his behaviour was unbecoming of the role, but within the club there’s a feeling that Emery’s prevarication over announcing the captaincy has been a significant contributory factor to what went on in the stadium on Sunday.

Arsenal are reportedly concerned about the impact this situation may have on results and fan sentiment, with the Gunners enduring a difficult time on the pitch at the moment, dropping 5 out of 6 Premier League points in the last week.

Earlier today, Hector Bellerin called for unity, saying, “We are all humans, we all have emotions, and 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.”

For more on this, check out today’s Arsecast Extra

This Arsecast Extra was recorded with ipDTL