Granit Xhaka hits back at critics after Arsenal draw

Granit Xhaka has hit back after the midfielder was widely criticised for his performance in the North London derby.

The Swiss midfielder was singled out by Arsenal supporters following a poor first half during which he gave away a penalty as Tottenham Hotspur raced into a 2-0 lead.

Arsenal, however, managed to salvage a point courtesy of a spirited second period and goals from attacking duo Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Reflecting on the criticism he received following the game, Xhaka told Sky Sports News: "Of course critics are always here. The North London derby, I think we had a good game. I made a mistake with the penalty but if you saw the game, we could have won.

"We had a lot of chances but this is football. Nobody speaks about the chances, nobody speaks about how many we missed. They always speak about the mistakes.

"This is part of football."

On the flipside, Xhaka's midfield partner Matteo Guendouzi was especially impressive in the middle and has since earned his first ever call-up to the French senior squad following Paul Pogba's injury.

Gunners boss Unai Emery emphasised after Sunday's draw that he was "very proud" of Xhaka's work over a 90-minute period.