EPL star Wilfried Zaha weighs in on Arsenal horror show against Manchester City

In an interview with beIN Sports, EPL and Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha empathised with Arsenal and believed that they gave a good account of themselves earlier this week against Manchester City.

The Ivorian winger grew up idolizing EPL giants Arsenal and claimed that Mikel Arteta's side was punished by a clinical Manchester City team for a few mistakes on the pitch.

"We're going to have to find motivation from within"@wilfriedzaha tells @CarrieBrownTV that the @CPFC players will have to cheer each other on without their notoriously noisy fans at the games. 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄▶️https://t.co/ytkEUiXALe#beINPL pic.twitter.com/1c1JwNUSiD

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) June 19, 2020

"I watched the Manchester City game yesterday, it was crazy. Arsenal started so well but that's the problem with Man City. You can play so well, but one mistake and they punish you."

Arsenal was defeated by a margin of 3-0 by Pep Guardiola's side on the opening day of the EPL restart. The Gunners started the game well but were found themselves chasing shadows in the second half after David Luiz received his marching orders for a foul on Riyad Mahrez in the penalty area.

The EPL defender was guilty of making a horrendous error in the first half that led directly to Raheem Sterling's opening goal. Wilfried Zaha paid compliments to Manchester City and said that mistakes of that manner will not go unpunished by the EPL's best sides.

🗣 "It was not the teams fault, it was my fault"David Luiz chooses to explain himself after the game pic.twitter.com/s6MHTzIh95

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) June 17, 2020

"As you saw, David Luiz made one mistake and they punished him straight away. From there, you're just on the back foot after that. It was a good game to watch."

David Luiz went on to take complete responsibility for Arsenal's defeat against a formidable side that is in second place in the EPL table. David Luiz also said that he was reconsidering his options ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

The match also saw several injuries, including a particularly nasty blow to Eric Garcia's head. The opening day of the restarted EPL season also saw Sheffield United taking on Aston Villa. Sheffield United is currently in sixth place in the EPL table and is vying for a place in Europe next season.

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EPL winger Wilfried Zaha vouches for fake noise in empty stadiums

Wilfried Zaha believes that the fake noise in the EPL matches is working

The EPL has decided to introduce fake applause in the matches that will take place after the EPL restart to account for the lack of noise in the empty stadiums. This decision has polarised the EPL fanbase and has garnered both criticism and praise from pundits and former players alike.

Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha claimed that based on how the EPL matches panned out on the opening day of the restart, the decision may well be a step in the right direction.

"When I heard about the fake noise, I thought it's just going to be weird. But when I watched the Bundesliga and then played with no noise at all, I thought, 'Well, this is not okay lad!'"

The Bundesliga started much earlier than the EPL and decided against implementing similar measures. While the games themselves have been entertaining, the lack of atmosphere at the stadium was disturbingly obvious.

The Bundesliga does not induce fake noise during its games

Zaha said that despite the fact that the noise is fabricated, it contributes to creating a pleasant experience for the viewer.

"Having the fake noise when the teams played made such a difference. Even though you can see empty seats, it made the game a lot better for some reason."

Crystal Palace is currently 11th in the EPL table and will look to Wilfried Zaha for inspiration as they mount an ambitious attempt to qualify for European football next season.

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