Sports
West Ham Fan Reveals What Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka Said in Spat
West Ham United picked up a brilliant 3-1 victory over Regis Le Bris’ Sunderland on Saturday afternoon and the visiting bench was left in uproar in the 83rd minute as captain Granit Xhaka argued with some West Ham fans. A source close to the situation has now revealed exactly what the Swiss midfielder said throughout the spat.
Although they remain in the relegation places, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men picked up a morale-lifting victory against one of the Premier League‘s surprise packages – and their goalscoring rout began in the 14th minute courtesy of Crysencio Summerville. Jarrod Bowen later scored from the spot to double their lead.
Mateus Fernandes, West Ham’s stand-out performer, then added a third before the half-time interval and Brian Brobbey scored a consolation in the 66th minute, thus leaving the Black Cats slap bang in the middle of the table. Xhaka was unavailable for the contest, but he made sure to be involved by arguing with an opposition fan.
West Ham Fan Reveals What Sunderland’s Granit Xhaka Said in Spat
Xhaka, signed from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, has been integral to Sunderland’s high-flying season to date, and they missed his box-to-box presence in midfield as they fell on the sword of West Ham, who will be hoping to gain some sort of momentum after such a brilliant home triumph. Sunderland, however, will be looking to get back to winning ways when they host Burnley at the Stadium of Light next.
Widely regarded as one of the best Premier League signings of the summer, the seasoned Xhaka was still heavily involved despite being sat with other teammates behind Le Bris’ dugout – and that’s because he was embroiled in a heated exchange with a member of the home contingent.
Referee Thomas Bramall was forced to halt play to speak to the West Ham manager while stewards and the fourth official were hands-on to deal with the incident.
TV cameras picked up the Black Cats midfielder arguing with supporters sat behind the away dugout – a section reserved for hospitality ticket holders. Speaking to SunSport, a supporter who was in earshot of the war of words has now revealed what he heard.
The confrontation, which was picked up by a number of cameras inside the London Stadium, reportedly started after Nordi Mukiele made way for Luke O’Nien in the 83rd minute, and the defender was “obviously p****ed off”, throwing his arms aloft before exchanging words with Sunderland manager Le Bris. The fan said:
“Everyone’s going ‘Whey! Whey!’ and giving it to him, ‘dry your eyes, mate’ – like we always do it to be fair, being so close. Then he sort of turned around, went back towards the pitch and had a pop at the manager. That got another ‘Whey!’ again, a bigger roar.
He’s turning around all the time, we’ve obviously rattled him. Then Xhaka’s turned around because he’s sitting two or three rows behind the dugout and between us,” he continued before claiming the 33-year-old midfielder asked the West Ham supporters to show his teammate a sense of respect.
10 Most ‘Frustrating’ Players in Premier League History [Ranked]
The likes of Mario Balotelli, Adel Taarabt and Mesut Ozil feature in the list of 10 most frustrating Premier League players.
“He’s turned around and started giving it to one of my mates who was sitting just in front, basically going ‘show some respect, show some respect’ – quite ironic considering [Mukiele] just had a pop at his own manager. Everyone then starts giving it to Xhaka, telling him to wind his neck in. The confrontation then escalated after another person headed towards Xhaka. Another guy came [towards the dugout] to calm it down,” the source added.
“And then Xhaka started calling him out saying, ‘I’ll see you outside, I’ll see you outside.’ Then as he was heading down the tunnel after the game finished he was still going to the guy, ‘I’ll see you outside’. It was all Xhaka, complete head loss. The geezer’s on 100 grand a week getting rattled by absolute nobodies, just giving it the big ‘un. It was all on him.”
Xhaka’s Absence Was Felt by Sunderland, Stuart Pearce Claims
If Saturday lunchtime’s encounter proved anything, it was that Xhaka – who flopped at Arsenal before moving to Germany in 2023 – is crucially important to how they set up. Stuart Pearce analysed his absence afterward when speaking to talkSPORT: “We pointed out that they give the ball away by playing passes from that midfield area and in that midfield area, that was the biggest downside of their play today.
“I was disappointed in that and disappointed in their performance, but Xhaka plays a massive part in regard to that. He’s been arguably one of the signings of the season and he was valuably missed today.”
Speaking to talkSPORT in the wake of losing 3-1, Le Bris revealed Xhaka’s injury is an ankle problem that will keep him out for at least two weeks. “I don’t know the time frame yet, we’ll see,” he said before adding: “We’ll have at least two weeks of rest and then we’ll assess this injury, an ankle injury.”
|
Granit Xhaka’s 2025/26 Premier League Stats vs Sunderland Squad |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Metric |
Output |
Squad Rank |
|
Minutes |
1963 |
2nd |
|
Goal Contributions |
6 |
2nd= |
|
Tackles per Match |
1.6 |
6th |
|
Key Passes per Match |
1.1 |
2nd |
|
Average Passes per Match |
52 |
2nd |
|
Long Balls per Match |
4.5 |
2nd |
|
Overall Rating |
7.09 |
1st |
“He’s important for the squad, but it’s not an excuse. It’s not possible to think like that. We have a good squad. They have to experience different situations. It’s uncomfortable, but I think we can learn more from a difficult period like that rather than sometimes a sequence of wins,” Le Bris concluded.
All statistics per WhoScored – correct as of 25/01/2026
The early stages of the 2026 World Cup have delivered plenty of exciting moments on the pitch. The first two games of the tournament set the tone, with the three red cards in Mexico’s opening day win over South Africa, followed by South Korea’s impressive 2-1 comeback in an action-packed display against Czechia.
Those results mean Mexico and South Korea sit at the top of Group A, with the host nation in first on goal difference, while the Czechs and South Africa sit third and fourth respectively (also divided by goal difference). Unfortunately, a few incidents have taken away some of the joy from the action so far.
One issue is the high number of empty seats, which were particularly apparent during South Korea’s win at the Estadio Akron (Guadalajara Stadium). Although FIFA insisted it was actually a sell-out match, pictures of the event told a very different story. More seriously, however, one fan appeared to make a racist gesture during the game.
Yoon Su-jin, who has nearly 9 million combined followers on TikTok and YouTube, was filming herself celebrating South Korea’s opening World Cup 2-1 victory against Czechia when she also caught a number of Mexican fans on camera behind her. At first, the clip seemed to be good nature, but one man then appeared to make a racist gesture, as he pulled his fingers to slant his eyes.
A stunned Yoon, who goes by Incocat_t, stared at her camera, evidently upset as she later asked:
“I came all the way to Mexico for the World Cup, but … am I being too sensitive?”
While also then posting: “POV: You travelled across the world for the World Cup… and experienced racism.”
The man has now been identified as a local Mexican trade group leader, and action has been taken against him.
Statement Made as Mexican Trade Group Leader To Be Fired
In an update from the New York Post, the man in question is the College of Topographic and Geomatic Engineers of Jalisco President Ulises Bernal. Their report claims he will be removed from office after the clip went viral, drawing strong criticism.
A spokesperson for the government trade association, which trains and licenses engineers, told The New York Post:
“We are deeply saddened by what is happening regarding this incident.”
When asked if Bernal would face any punishment, they said “the Honor and Justice Committee is meeting this same day” and that Bernal would be “removed from office.”
The incident has sparked a strong response online, with many Mexican fans apologising for the racist behaviour.
Thierry Henry has issued a statement after inadvertently offending one nation competing at the 2026 World Cup.
The legendary French forward is working on the showpiece international tournament for US-broadcaster FOX Sports and met popular YouTuber IShowSpeed during the United States’ opening World Cup match against Paraguay on Friday.
A clip of Speed having his microphone taken away from him by Henry’s FOX Sports colleague and fellow football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic subsequently went viral on social media, but it was another clip that went down badly with the people of Nigeria.
What Thierry Henry Said About Nigeria Shorts
Zlatan and Henry both noticed Speed was wearing a pair of Nigeria shorts with his US Men’s National Team jersey.
“I love Nigeria but not today,” Henry said. “Today is US for you.”
Speed replied: “What’s wrong with Nigeria?”
Henry said: “Nigeria is great,” shortly before Paraguay scored against the USA. “You see?” Henry said. “You bring bad luck. That’s you bringing bad luck.” Watch the clip below:
White House Chief Makes Major Claim About Somali Referee Barred From Entering USA for World Cup
Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House’s Task Force for the 2026 World Cup, has provided his verdict on the controversial decision
Thierry Henry Responds to Criticism
After receiving some criticism from disappointed Nigeria fans, Henry released a statement via Instagram, explaining his comments.
“Hello my people, this is Thierry,” the Arsenal hero said. “What a game we had yesterday. I needed to clarify something because I don’t think people understand when a joke is a joke.
“IShowSpeed yesterday had the shorts of Nigeria and the top of the US. I just set to him ‘it’s bad luck to break the set. It could have been the shorts of France, Italy or Spain, I would have said the same thing.”
He added: “I was just having a little joke with him, saying that it will be bad luck. Not that Nigeria is bad luck, but to break the set because you go as a set and I love Nigeria.
“And by the way, I do. I have mad respect for Nigeria and the people there. A lot of Arsenal fans out there, so don’t misunderstand stuff, please. Nigeria is never bad luck, I was just saying breaking the set is bad luck with any other shorts. Enjoy your day.” Watch Henry’s statement below:
You scored
out of 20
Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup finals after losing on penalties to DR Congo in November.
Despite boasting a handful of household names in their current squad, including Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi, Nigeria were unable to book their place at this summer’s tournament after also missing the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.
Meanwhile, the United States began their 2026 World Cup campaign with an emphatic 4-1 win over Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Los Angeles.
Liverpool have held meetings to sign ‘one of the best talents around’ ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Reds managed to qualify for the Champions League during the 2025-2026 season, meaning they should be shopping in the same market heading into the summer.
Liverpool looked as though they’d miss out on qualifying for Europe’s elite club competition, but they managed to get over the line despite a disappointing season.
Arne Slot was relieved of his duties after their struggles, with Andoni Iraola brought to the club to replace him as manager.
After solving the managerial situation, attention has quickly turned to improving Liverpool’s squad during the market.
Liverpool Overtake Man Utd in Race to Sign ‘Future Ballon d’Or Contender’
Liverpool are eyeing winger options in the transfer window, with several options being linked with a move this summer.
Liverpool Hold Talks for Young Talent
According to Italian journalist Romano, Liverpool have held meetings with the agents of Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi ahead of the summer transfer window.
The French club are well aware that some top sides around Europe will be coming for Bouaddi, with clubs starting conversations before the start of the World Cup.
“Lille knows very well that top clubs will be coming for Bouaddi, because even before the World Cup, some of the biggest clubs in the world started some conversations with his agents. I can tell you that between January and now, for sure, he’s been approached by Paris Saint-Germain. Paris Saint-Germain love Bouaddi. At the moment, they are not so busy with midfielders on the market, so that’s a point. But Paris Saint-Germain absolutely love Bouaddi, and they’ve been tracking him for a long time. Then we have to mention also that English clubs started having conversations for Bouaddi. For example, there were direct contacts with Arsenal and direct contacts also with Liverpool, so both clubs had meetings with the agents of the player, but now shining at the World Cup, one of the best talents around in midfield.”
So it appears Liverpool are likely to face plenty of competition if they do make a move for Bouaddi, especially after his display at the World Cup.
Big clubs will have already been tracking the 18-year-old, but the game against Brazil has only boosted his profile.
⚽
England World Cup Quiz
You scored
out of 20
Bouaddi Produces Special Brazil Display
It was a phenomenal display from Bouaddi against Brazil. Dominating the middle of the park despite being just 18 years old, the Morocco midfielder completed 60 of his 66 passes, with nine ground duels, while making six recoveries.
The Lille star looked like an established, experienced midfielder rather than an 18-year-old competing at his first World Cup.
Bouaddi was up against the likes of Lucas Paquetá, Bruno Guimarães and Casemiro, but he looked far from out of place.
If Bouaddi can keep up this level of performance throughout the tournament, he is going to be one of the hottest properties in the Summer transfer window.
Mexican Man Loses Job After Racist Gesture Behind South Korea Fan
Thierry Henry Issues Statement After Nigeria Comment Backlash at World Cup
Liverpool in Talks to Sign Rising Midfield Star Ayyoub Bouaddi
Simi Sanya and Femi Dapson Are Now Legally Married and It Is Beautiful to See
FCT Area Council Election: Live results from polling units
Premier League Set-Piece Goals (2025/2026)
-
Sports2 days agoLewis Hamilton’s Awkward Response to Kimi Antonelli Trolling Kim Kardashian
-
Sports2 days agoFox Break FIFA Broadcasting Rule During Mexico v South Africa
-
Sports1 day ago12 Hardest Football Competitions to Win [Ranked]
-
Sports1 day agoReferee Michael Oliver Out of 2026 World Cup Match Due to Injury
-
Sports2 days agoEngland Fan Denied World Cup Access After Breaking Trump Rule
-
Sports1 day agoClint Dempsey Slams Canada Boss Jesse Marsch on Live TV
-
Sports16 hours agoSir Alex Ferguson Named His 2026 World Cup Winners
-
Sports2 days agoFIFA Statement as Canada Deny Thomas Partey’s 2026 World Cup Visa