Arsene Wenger says he has no concerns over Mesut Ozil’s form - and has urged fans to get behind the playmaker.
Ozil has been criticised in some quarters for his performances since returning from Germany’s World Cup success in the summer.
However, Wenger is confident the 25-year-old will soon rediscover his best form.
"You have to accept that football is played by human beings who have ups and downs like you have in your life"
“The fans should not be concerned and just support him,” the boss said. “I understand that you always want your best players to make the difference in every single game and we all go through periods where we are a bit less good.
“You help. A club is a union between players, supporters and directors. You have to be united and sometimes go through periods together where it goes a bit less well.
“Why should he be be a scapegoat? We've lost one game since April 1. Let's be realistic. We've come out of a very difficult preparation period with decisive games.
"What is difficult to manage today is that everybody knows absolutely everything and everybody judges people definitely on one game. You have to accept that football is played by human beings who have ups and downs like you have in your life."
Wenger believes Ozil, like other players who featured in the latter stages of the World Cup, should be allowed more time to recover before they are judged.
“[Criticism] is a bit unfair because I believe that our offensive talents on Tuesday night were not in their best condition, and they couldn’t express that talent. On the other hand it’s post-World Cup. He came back on August 11. You know it takes a few months for them to get back to their best, that can happen.
“Many of the World Cup players don’t even play at the moment. I believe that’s natural and I’ve seen that before. I’ve gone through that before and it’s normal - it’s more mental than physical in my opinion.”
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