Laura Woods says ‘no excuse’ for Granit Xhaka throat grab as talkSPORT host rants Arsenal were LUCKY to get away with 1-0 defeat to Burnley

talkSPORT Breakfast host Laura Woods went on a brilliant rant on Monday morning as she reacted to Arsenal’s latest defeat.

The Gunners have lost four of their past five Premier League matches to now sit just five points clear of the relegation zone.

Sunday’s home defeat by Burnley, who started the weekend in the bottom three, was particularly poor as it was secured via a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang own goal with Granit Xhaka also being sent off for grabbing Ashley Westwood’s throat.

The wheels appear to be coming off at the Emirates and Mikel Arteta is under serious pressure, with the Gunners boss actually leading the Premier League sack race odds.

But Arsenal’s ongoing struggles are due to the players, talkSPORT Breakfast host Laura believes, also claiming ‘there are players in that dressing room who don’t want to play for him’.

Speaking on Monday’s show, Laura’s rant began: “What really winds me up is that Arsenal are meant to be a top team in the Premier League.

They are all probably on excellent wages at that club, you live in London and have a great life, you’ve got a manager coming in who wants to play great football – potentially – and you don’t have the discipline to be a professional footballer and conduct yourself on the pitch in the way you are supposed to.

“Granit Xhaka has had numerous warnings before; he’s had the wrath of Arsenal fans, he was the captain and had it stripped off him.

“He’s had numerous chances again and again, and at that moment there is literally no excuse for it.

“Don’t throttle a player who wasn’t even really involved and is probably one of the smallest players on the pitch! It was just such an odd thing…

“It wasn’t even a fiery moment of madness; there were two moments in there and he had the opportunity to walk away and he didn’t. And he carried on and throttled Ashley Westwood and got sent off, quite rightfully.

“[Mohamed] Elneny could have been sent off as well and we could have been down to nine men! It could have been even worse and I think we’re quite lucky to get away with a 1-0 loss at home.

“Why are you a Premier League footballer and can’t control yourself on the pitch?

“Whether or not you think Mikel Arteta is the right man for the job, he is the one who will have to suffer for it.

“And the Arsenal fans who paid their money to watch that after not going for nine months get to watch that dross…

“I don’t know where to start with it, because I feel like there are players in that dressing room who don’t want to play for him, probably don’t want to play for themselves…

“I just don’t get it.”