Paul Merson hits nail on the head with Granit Xhaka comments before sending off

Granit Xhaka was shown his second red card of the season as Arsenal took on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, just moments after Paul Merson pointed out the Swiss midfielder's propensity to get sent off.

The 29-year-old was dismissed midway through the first half against the Reds, stretching in an effort to prevent Diogo Jota bearing down on goal but instead bringing down the opposition forward.

It was only Xhaka's ninth game since picking up a straight red in the August defeat against Manchester City, since when he has opened up about his disciplinary issues.

And former Arsenal favourite Merson, in assessing the former Borussia Monchengladbach player's contribution to the team before the game got underway, hit the nail on the head.

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"He's one of those players who plays… I watch him and he plays in those games and I'm like 'What do you do?' But when he doesn't play he's missed. It's a strange one," Merson said on Sky Sports' coverage (via Metro ).

"He always plays and he'll run through a brick wall for you.

"He'll make his mistakes and he'll get his sending off and he'll get silly yellow cards but he always plays."

Xhaka's latest red card comes after he claimed he is more likely to get sent off than other players because of his reputation.

"When you see some tackles and imagine if I was in this position? I would be sent off straight away," Xhaka told The Athletic in December.

"This makes me do things in a different way sometimes because I know that my risk compared to the risk of other players is not the same.

"If I risk I know I am closer to a red card than any other player in the Premier League. Maybe I am wrong but that is what I feel.

"So sometimes in a game I stop myself from going for the risky ones because if I get a red card it all starts up again. I don't want to give arguments for others to speak about me for stupid things. I try not to risk too much."

Xhaka's dismissal leaves Arsenal even lighter in midfield as they prepare for Sunday's North London Derby.

Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny are away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles has joined Roma on loan and Martin Odegaard missed the Liverpool game through illness.

Ben White could be asked to deputise in central midfield against Spurs, having played in the position previously for Leeds United, while Albert Sambi Lokonga remains available to manager Mikel Arteta.

Despite admitting he had concerns about the player, Merson still praised Xhaka before the game.

"I think they're a better team with him in it though I don't want to underestimate him," he said.

"That's a compliment. They're a better team, Arsenal, when he's in the team."