Yesterday (as I’m writing this) Arsenal played Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal, after taking a resounding 2-0 lead within 10 minutes, crumbled and ended up drawing 2-2. Although the end result was not surprising in the slightest (if you thought Arsenal wouldn’t crumble down the stretch, you obviously haven’t been watching them for the past 5 years), there were several shocking moments in the game. Moments that might mean something more down the road.

I’ll leave it to other people to rage against VAR. In this case, it’s 100% deserved. It cost Arsenal this game. The first decision, that awarded the penalty, was probably accurate. But the one that called off the game-winner was…debatable at best. I’ve watched it a few times and I’m still not sure what they saw in it to call off that goal when they’ve been so silent on so many other clear-cut penalties. I don’t get it.

But I’m not here to talk about that. I’m here to talk about Granit Xhaka and what a mess this club is in.

Earlier this season, Unai Emery named Granit Xhaka the Arsenal captain after an unceremonious exit from Laurent Koscielny, the previous captain. This decision was met with a lot of fan pushback. No one seemed to understand why the midfielder, who many fans had already written off, was giving the armband previously worn by the likes of Patrick Vieira, Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta, Thierry Henry, and Tony Adams. A lot of people thought he wasn’t even good enough to make the starting 11 let alone captain the team.

But then comes Unai Emery and decisions that no one quite understands. For reasons known only to himself, the Arsenal manager refuses to play Mesut Ozil. He wasn’t even on the bench against Crystal Palace. Which means Arsenal has seen a revolving door of potential attacking midfielders trying, and failing, to do anything creative. Most Arsenal games are begging for a playmaker in midfield. The team has one sitting at home.

Arsenal also has a holding midfielder, Lucas Torreira, who is almost universally considered to be a better player than Xhaka and should at least be getting a few starts. Instead, he wastes away on the bench. And when he’s played, he’s played as a box-to-box midfielder. Even yesterday, Emery praised his ability to make runs and chances on offense. That’s not his game, it never has been. He thrives as a defensive, holding midfielder. Yet, Emery can’t see that.

So, instead of listening to the fan opinion that Xhaka is not good enough to start, Emery names him captain, practically guaranteeing that he will start every game. I’m not upset with that. To me, it is clear that Xhaka is not good enough. He shows flashes of brilliance, but he also costs so many goals and concedes such foolish penalties that it’s impossible to defend him starting. But the manager shouldn’t bow to public opinion. The manager was hired to win games and if Emery thinks Xhaka will win him games, he should absolutely play him no matter what anyone thinks. The issue is that Xhaka has not been winning Arsenal games and, by all estimation, won’t. He’s a rotation player that flew too close to the sun and got lucky with a manager that would play him over Messi or Ronaldo.

Even though Arsenal sits at 6th place and are still well in the running for top 4, which is the best any supporter could hope for, their play this season has been terrible. It’s been lifeless, uncreative, and reliant on big performances from a few key players. Without Leno and Aubamayang, Arsenal would be with Manchester United right now. Through all of this, Xhaka has been average at best. He hasn’t led the team into any identity. He hasn’t put in stellar shifts. He’s made errors defensively that have led directly to goals for the opponents. Seemingly, he’s justified the supporter’s reaction to his captaincy.

That brings us to Crystal Palace.

Once again, Xhaka is captain. Once again, the team puts forth an extremely lackadaisical performance.  After 60 minutes, the game is tied at 2-2. Arsenal need a goal to win this game at home against a Crystal Palace team that clearly does not have the same level of talent as Arsenal. This was a game that Arsenal should win and needed to win.

In the 61st minute, Emery makes a substitution. Xhaka is off, Saka is on. Xhaka, clearly annoyed at being subbed out of a close game, throws the armband at Aubamayang making it fall to the pitch. Already annoyed with the player as a whole and what he exemplifies about Emery’s managerial style, this riled up the supporters. Xhaka seemed to show no respect for the band. Then, ridiculously, Xhaka decides to take his precious time walking off the pitch as if completely unaware that there is a game on that Arsenal need to win. After seeing him disrespect the armband and then be selfish enough to not get off the pitch when Arsenal has under 30 minutes to score a goal to win, the supporters rain boos on Xhaka.

Instead of taking this in stride, like a professional player and captain should, Xhaka shouts “F*** off” at the supporters and motions to his ear as if he wants to hear more. Then he roughly slaps Saka’s hand, ignores Emery, rips his Arsenal shirt off, and storms down the tunnel, not to be seen again.

Let me get something out of the way here: no one in this story is in the right. The supporters, Xhaka, especially Emery all were in the wrong.

Let’s first look at the supporters. You don’t boo a member of your team. I don’t care the reason, if they are trying to win you games, trying to play the best they can, and seem to actually care about the team, you don’t boo them. You are a supporter, you support. That means supporting players you don’t think are good enough and supporting a manger’s decision you don’t agree with. Your job is to show up and let the team know you are behind them completely, not behind them if they do things your way. And I understand. I understand the temptation. Arsenal has been lackluster and Emery seems to have his head shoved up his butt, completely oblivious to obvious answers. This outpouring against Xhaka, I feel, was more frustration and anger at Emery’s tactics that aren’t working and his disinterest at trying something different. This was more about Emery’s choices than Xhaka’s, but Xhaka is emblematic of everything the fans are upset with Emery over. He’s the poster child for the current state of Arsenal football and so gets the most abuse.

But that doesn’t give the supporters an excuse for behaving like they have against Xhaka. He’s trying his best, even if it isn’t good enough, and he’s been met with vitriolic abuse constantly. His wife has been threatened on social media. He’s constantly attacked with comments about him not deserving what he’s worked so hard for. And now, after being subbed out of a game that he desperately wanted to keep playing, feeling like his pride is hurt after trying his best to win that game, he gets resounding boos from the supporters that he is playing for. That’s gotta hurt and it’s uncalled for. The supporters are in the wrong here.

But that doesn’t let Xhaka off the hook. The player’s reaction was horrendous, more so as a captain. He can’t do that. It’s inexcusable. He was picked to lead this team. If he thinks he can lead by ripping his shirt off and throwing a temper tantrum in the locker room, he shouldn’t be a captain. His first mistake was disrespecting the armband by throwing it at Aubamayang. His biggest mistake was taking his time walking off the pitch. By doing that, he displayed to the fans that his own personal feelings were more important than the club and the game. It was disrespectful to the supporters who love the club and sacrifice a lot to support it. Then to rip the shirt off and not even stand by your teammates at the end of a close game shows a complete disrespect for the manager’s decisions and for your teammates. The teammates that you are supposed to be leading. That’s not okay.

Emery is the most at fault. He needs to understand that feelings between himself, the supporters, and the team are at an all-time low. The supporters do not trust him and many no longer back him as the solution to the problems. Now, it seems like the players don’t even respect his decisions. This display showcased how the fans feel about Emery’s leadership. Will he listen? My guess is no.

What does this mean for Arsenal going forward? Anyone with two eyes and at least one brain cell can see that something is broken beyond belief at Arsenal football club. The manager has lost fan backing. The team lacks any kind of identity. Now the captain is shouting at the fans and storming off the pitch. Does this mean things will change? Will the ownership seriously consider ousting Emery? Will someone like Aubamayang or Bellerin get the captaincy? Will Ozil be given a chance?

No. Xhaka will start next game, as captain. Nothing will change. Because this is Arsenal. Where nothing ever gets better, it just gets worse in a new way.