Unai Emery says that Mesut Ozil did not deserve to be on the team sheet.
Arsenal succumbed to West Ham by putting in yet another dismal performance which cost them whole three points, thanks to a goal from the young Declan Rice who had the composure to slot the ball inside from close range to hand over the fifth defeat for the Gunners this campaign.
FULL-TIME West Ham 1-0 Arsenal
Academy graduate Declan Rice scores his 1st #PL goal to give the Hammers victory in front of their record home crowd #WHUARS pic.twitter.com/dd4ph2WtmI
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 12, 2019
The Gunners highest paid player returned to the training following a knee injury last week, but the Spaniard says that Ozil has not done enough to recommend a name in the last 18. He has not been part of the squad for three straight games.
The former Real Madrid midfielder has often been left of the side, and the Gunner manager used to say that he picks the squad which fits his tactics, but he vented out his frustration today by criticizing him.
There has been a series of complaints about the midfielder who has struggled to get adjusted to Unai Emery’s tactics. Recently, he was forced to miss three Premier League games after injuring his back.
The reason proved to be hilarious as the German International used to play the famous video game named “Fortnite” more than five hours a day. He was also not part of the squad which traveled to Merseyside to face Liverpool and the home game against Fulham in a 4-1 victory.
Mesut Ozil’s #PremierLeague absences this season:
❌ West Ham – sickness
❌ Fulham – back spasm
❌ Tottenham – back injury
❌ Man Utd – back injury
❌ Huddersfield – back injury
❌ Liverpool – knee injury
❌ Fulham – knee injury
❌ West Ham – ???#WHUARS #COYG #TheSwypeSports pic.twitter.com/LssFzsmLxT— Swype Sports ™ (@TheSwypeSports) January 12, 2019
When Unai Emery was asked Ozil’s exclusion from the squad for the short trip to London, the Spaniard said that the players who are on the team sheet deserved to be there more than him.
‘Today the players who were here are the players who deserved to be in this match’
Unai Emery defends Mesut Ozil omission in defeat to West Hamhttps://t.co/ufLGpwV9Wx pic.twitter.com/ew8IDnV6xu
— MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) January 12, 2019
“I decided the idea of the players that I think are the best for this match,”
“We win with him, we lose with him. I think it is not one player [which means] we can’t win or lose.
“Today the players who were here are the players who deserved to be in this match. We could’ve won or lost.
“We continue working with every player because they are all important, but today the decision was to come with these players.” said Emery.
Initially, it looked like Ozil would be one of their key players during their 22-game unbeaten streak, but he has lost his plot ever since then. With more than halfway into the season, Ozil has made just 16 appearances, scoring four goals and assisting another two.
Mesut Ozil will be eager to force himself in Arsenal’s starting eleven when they invite Chelsea to the Emirates next weekend.
