Xhaka Breaks Silence After Fan Fight

Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka has offered an explanation to Gunners fans over the furious scenes that accompanied his substitution against Crystal Palace.

"After taking some time to reflect on what happened on Sunday afternoon, I would like to give you an explanation rather than just a quick response," the missive began.

"My feeling of not being understood by fans, and repeated abusive comments at matches and on social media over the last weeks and months have hurt me deeply," he added.

"People have said things like 'We will break your legs,' 'kill your wife' and 'wish that your daughter gets cancer'. That has stirred me up and I reached boiling point when I felt the rejection in the stadium on Sunday.

"In this situation I let myself be carried away and reacted in a way that disrespected the group of fans that support our club, our team and myself with positive energy. That has not been my intention and I'm sorry if it's what people thought."