Mikel Arteta gives exact reason why Ozil and Guendouzi aren’t playing for Arsenal in recent games

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil hasn’t played for the North Londoners since the Premier League restarted and it looks like he has been joined by Matteo Guendouzi as the young Frenchman is no longer getting selected in the matchday squads. Mikel Arteta has spoken on the situation that has seen these two stop getting minutes.

Mesut Ozil played in Mikel Arteta’s first Premier League games as manager but it has however been surprising how the Arsenal boss has made a U-turn on what he thinks of the German after the league got suspended. Ozil was not in the matchday squad that lost 3-0 away to Manchester City, and played zero minutes in the games against Brighton & Hove Albion and Southampton.

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – JUNE 20: Matteo Guendouzi of Arsenal confronts Neal Maupay of Brighton and Hove Albion during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal FC at American Express Community Stadium on June 20, 2020 in Brighton, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

As for Matteo Guendouzi, the young Frenchman was involved in a scuffle with a Brighton & Hove Albion striker Maupay after the gunners lost 2-1 to the Seagulls and even though The FA did not give him a ban for what he did, Arteta has stopped selecting Guendouzi in the matchday squads. Mikel Arteta was finally asked as to why they weren’t playing and the Arsenal head coach has given an explanation.

“Everybody that I have in the squad, my job is to get the maximum out of them, to try to help them, to try to support them and if they are willing, everybody’s welcome.” Mikel Arteta told Football.London.

The Arsenal fanbase will be worried because of this statement by Mikel Arteta because he specifically said that he will try to help Guendouzi and Ozil if they are “willing” which could be interpreted as him saying that they might not be showing enough in training. It will be interesting to see if Arteta will include both Matteo Guendouzi and Mesut Ozil in the squad that faces Norwich at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.