Granit Xhaka speaks about his clash with Arsenal fans vs Crystal Palace in 2019 | OneFootball

Granit Xhaka has given his full account of what happened on the day he clashed with Arsenal fans at the Emirates stadium in an interview with The Athletic. In one of the most infamous Premier League incidents in recent memory, the midfielder snapped at his own supporters inside the stadium who booed him as he left the pitch back in 2019.

One of Arsene Wenger's final signings at the Emirates, Xhaka got his fair share of stick from Arsenal fans during his first few years at the club. Sent off on multiple occasions for poor tackles, supporters became frustrated with him as the north London side fell further away from the top of the Premier League.

The tension then finally exploded in a 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace when Xhaka was substituted on the hour mark. When loud boos were aimed at him, he gestured and swore back, before throwing his shirt to the turf. While Xhaka described how he considered it to be a part of the sport, he said what really hurt was how his family felt up in the stands that day.

"For me, in all honesty, it’s part of sports. Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down. But for my family up in the stands, it was like a slap in the face.

"It hurt me more because it hurt them so much. I will never forget how bad my parents felt, how my wife felt."

Despite all that, he initially thought after the incident that he could get over the obstacle, even referring to how he had a meeting about a new contract after the game. However, after being stripped of the Arsenal captaincy, he recalls then having several tough days.

Mikel Arteta played a key role in keeping Xhaka at Arsenal

Arteta was the only one who wanted him to stay

Many did not think he would ever play for Arsenal again following what happened, least of all Xhaka. The 31-year-old admitted in April 2022 in a story with The Players' Tribune that "the passports were out" and that he had decided to leave the club.

Elaborating on that moment more with The Athletic, Xhaka stated that he felt that the club had not shown him enough respect, and that everyone wanted him out. The only person who wanted him to stay was the new manager, Mikel Arteta.

A second meeting between the pair led to Arteta talking about building a team around Xhaka, who remembers being so impressed that he made the decision without talking to his family. He returned to the fold, grateful for a second chance.

Xhaka became an Arsenal icon after that

He's set to return for Arsenal's match against West Ham

Xhaka would return to the fold for a Europa League match against Eintracht Frankfurt, thinking that he was playing for Arsenal for the first time again. And he would quickly set about restoring his reputation at the Emirates.

Having come so close to leaving the club, he would remain in north London for four more years, becoming a fan-favourite under Arteta as he helped guide them back into the Champions League and nearly to a first Premier League title in 20 years. He would ultimately leave for Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2023, scoring a hat-trick against Wolves in his final appearance.

Hailed by Arteta as "crucial" to the success of his Arsenal side, Xhaka is now playing a starring role in Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen team, who are first in the Bundesliga at the time of writing. However, he is set to return to the Emirates when Arsenal play West Ham United on Thursday 28th December to say goodbye to the club he called home for many years in what is likely to be an emotional reunion and a stark contrast to that night in 2019.