Arsenal have seen their hopes for another Premier League title come to an end after they lost back to back games to Watford and Chelsea. While they followed that up with a 2-0 win over Hull City, their performance in that match was not convincing at all.
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They suffered further humiliation when were thrashed by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, and while they still have the second leg to play, their chances for a major trophy this season is virtually over with only the FA Cup left to contest for.
While all this has been going on, there has been one particular Arsenal star that has been receiving a lot of criticism lately, with football fans and pundits saying he fails to get his A game during big matches and that is Arsenal's £42.4 million record signing from Real Madrid Mesut Ozil.
While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, Ozil's agent Dr Erkut Sogut has come to the defense of his client saying that the Arsenal playmaker is being targeted because he cost a lot of money and earns a lot too. He continued that Bayern Munich had 74 percent of the ball and with Ozil playing as a No. 10, he could not do anything because they hardly had the ball.
"Criticism is normal if a player plays badly, but Mesut feels people are not focusing on his performance; they are using him as a scapegoat for the team after bad results. Bayern had 74 percent possession. How can someone in the No. 10 position create chances if you don't have the ball?" BBC quoted Ozil's agent as saying.
"In these games people usually target a player who cost a lot of money and earns a lot of money -- that is Mesut. But he can't be always be the scapegoat. That's not fair. Football is a team sport and Arsenal are not performing well as a team. Eleven players were on the pitch, but Mesut was singled out for criticism. Was he the reason that Arsenal conceded five goals?"
Arsenal will be looking for a strong response after their hammering at the hands of Bayern Munich and their next match is away to non-league side Sutton United in the FA Cup. Arsenal will be expected to come away with an easy win, but given Arsenal's track record in the past against smaller teams anything could happen.
After that match, Arsenal take on Liverpool in the Premier League and then Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League match and these two matches will really define Arsenal's season and Arsene Wenger's future at Arsenal and Ozil will have the perfect opportunity to silence his critics.
