Arsenal news: Ex-Fifa official swipes at 'wrong' Granit Xhaka controversy after analysing entire match
Keith Hackett has slammed Andrew Madley for showing Granit Xhaka a yellow card as Arsenal beat Aston Villa 1-0 on Saturday (19 March).
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee delivered his verdict after Madley was spotted telling Xhaka he had committed three offences when he was shown a yellow card for pushing Emiliano Buendia.
In fact, that was the first time that the 29-year-old had committed an offence during the game.
Xhaka can be seen quite rightly asking Madley where the three offences had come from.
The midfielder has a reputation for tough-tackling and has now been shown six yellow cards in his last 13 Premier League games.
He has also been shown two red cards this term - against Man City at the beginning of the Premier League season and in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool in January.
Asked for his verdict on Xhaka's yellow card against Villa, Hackett said after analysing the footage with Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley: "Madley was wrong with Granit Xhaka.
"He suddenly goes '1, 2, 3' but when I've looked at the match, that's the first foul challenge that Xhaka's committed. There wasn't a 1, 2, 3.
"It just shows how you have got to be so careful when communicating to a player when issuing a yellow card."
Xhaka has turned around his reputation amongst Arsenal fans in recent weeks forming a formidable partnership with Thomas Partey.
The Gunners have won 10 of the last 12 Premier League games the pair have started together.