“I’m staying; Arteta hasn’t given me a chance” – Ozil

Mesut Ozil admits he’s been left frustrated by the way he was frozen out by Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta following the Premier League restart.

And with a year to run on his Gunners deal, Ozil insists he plans to stay.

He told the Athletic: “I have full respect for the coach’s decision, but I think these things need to be decided on the pitch, and after the restart I have not had the chance to show what I can do. You do not play ten games in a row if you are not ready, are too bad or have behaved badly

“I was fit enough to play all matches before the break, and except for a minor injury, it was the same after the break.

“If I was bad in the matches and was exclusively excluded for that reason, I would probably be able to understand it, but that has not been the case.”

Ozil added: “My position is clear. I will stay here until the last day of my contract and will do everything I can for this club.

“Situations like this will never knock me down, they only make me stronger. I have shown in the past that I can fight back on the team and I will do it again.”