Arsenal Favourite Hits Back At Summer Signing's Critics

Arsenal favourite Nigel Winterburn believes that Mesut Ozil's performance against Manchester City wasn't poor despite some claiming the midfielder didn't have enough of an impact.

The Gunners have lost just three games in the league this season and Ozil was also criticised against Manchester United, with the Germany international looking like a different player to the one who usually influences games with his skills.

His arrival at Arsenal set the side on a path to the top of the table and Winterburn believes that while he sometimes appears out of the spotlight he is still contributing to the team.

"He's like that," the former defender told Talksport. "Even when he first came and people were raving about his performances.

"If you watch where he positions himself on the pitch, his touch and some of his passes, they give the team the chance to counter-attack very quickly, so I don't mind so much if he drifts in and out of the game, when he's on the ball he produces the quality."

Arsenal's 6-3 loss to Manchester City has damaged their title push somewhat though they still remain at the top of the table.

And Winterburn insists that despite losing to one of the favourites in the race for Premier League silverware should they recover well, the Gunners will still be very much in the hunt.

"I look back at when we won the title, we weren't always the strongest [squad] but we had momentum," he explained. "We had belief and it took us to the title. If they can be the most consistent side, I think that Arsenal will believe that, because of the way they've started, they've got a great chance."

The side will certainly be thrown by the fact that they now face Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16 and with Chelsea to play this weekend the tests will keep coming for Ozil and Wenger's squad.