I HAVE BEEN REALLY FAIR WITH HIM: ARTETA HITS BACK AT MESUT OZIL

Mikel Arteta has hit back at Mesut Ozil – saying he is completely comfortable with his decision to leave him out of Arsenal’s 25-man Premier League squad.

The midfielder had said on social media earlier on Wednesday that he was “disappointed” at his omission from the set-up, adding: “Loyalty is hard to come by nowadays. I’ve always tried to remain positive from week to week that there’s maybe a chance to get back in the squad soon again. That’s why I kept silent so far.”

But in a press call later in the afternoon, the Arsenal manager responded to his player’s comments – saying that he had taken the step not because of Ozil’s behaviour, but based entirely on football.

“It was just a football decision and my conscience is very calm because I have been really fair with him,” Arteta told reporters.

“My job is to get the best out of every player to contribute to the team performance. At the moment I feel that I have failed because I want the best possible Mesut for the team.

“In some moments I was able to get close to that but at the moment I haven’t been able to do it.”