Garth Crooks, a former striker for Tottenham, says he despises Granit Xhaka and believes “he should have left Arsenal years ago.”

The midfielder from Switzerland thanked the Arsenal supporters for a “very special day” after leading Arsenal to a hugely impressive 3-0 victory over Brentford on Sunday, which put them back atop the table.

The away fans chanted Xhaka’s name throughout and after the game.

After the victory in west London, Xhaka sent a message to the Arsenal faithful: “Hey guys, Granit here. Great win, great result, thanks for your support.

“You’ve been amazing but as well for myself to hear what happened today, to say my name, to sing the song for me.

“It’s a very, very special day and thank you again, see you soon. All the best guys.”

Three years ago, Xhaka threw his shirt to the ground after being jeered off the field by his own fans during a home match against Crystal Palace.

Following this, Xhaka lost his position as captain, and his time at Arsenal appeared to be over. That is, until Mikel Arteta showed up and persuaded the 29-year-old to remain.

The abrasive midfielder sparked more controversy at the conclusion of the previous campaign when he made fun of the team’s younger players after Arsenal missed out on the Champions League.

He has led the Gunners to six victories in his last seven league games, though, and has been a revelation thus far this season.

But despite his fine form and the fact he’s turned things around in north London, Crooks is still not a fan.

“I don’t like Granit Xhaka,” Crooks told the BBC. “I find him confrontational, overly aggressive and altogether irritating.

“Nevertheless, on his day he’s a very good player. He should have left Arsenal years ago.

“However, for some reason he has not only stayed at the club, but also occasionally wears the captain’s armband. Such is his popularity these days.

“Against Brentford he looked very impressive and so did Arsenal.

“I would like to know why Brentford didn’t look up for this game. But the Gunners were so good I rather suspect that even if they had it wouldn’t have changed anything – Arsenal were that good. Most worrying.”

Arsenal are currently top of the table, a point ahead of both Manchester City and Tottenham.

And a mouthwatering north London derby awaits after the international break, with the Gunners hosting Spurs at The Emirates.