MADRID: Arsene Wenger was left devastated by Arsenal’s Europa League defeat to Atletico Madrid on Thursday but made a staunch defense of midfielder Mesut Ozil.
Ozil’s performance was heavily criticized by former Arsenal defender Martin Keown, who said the German had cried “crocodile tears” after the game, and was “not fit to wear the shirt.”
Diego Costa’s strike proved decisive at the Wanda Metropolitano where a 1-0 victory secured Atletico a 2-1 win on aggregate and a place in the final against Marseille.
Defeat ends Wenger’s hopes of leaving Arsenal on a high as his team missed out on a shot at a major trophy and squandered their last chance to qualify for the Champions League.
“I’m very sad tonight,” Wenger said. “Unfortunately you have to go through that — the game can be very cruel, sometimes very nice, but the suffering is very strong tonight.
“Looking at the chances over the two games the least we could say is we are very frustrated. The tie should have been over in the first game.”
It remains to be seen how another season outside Europe’s premier tournament will affect Arsenal’s search both for a new coach, and new signings, this summer.
“The club now has to think about what to do for next season,” Wenger said. “I think there are some good ingredients in our team and they will bounce back. With the right additions in the summer I think they can compete next year.”
Keown, however, was less optimistic and reserved a particularly harsh assessment for Ozil.
“He wasn’t fit to wear the shirt tonight,” Keown told BT Sport. “I’ve seen this a lot this season and it needs to be said. He needs to be dug out. We expect better from him.
“These are crocodile tears I’m seeing from the player. He’s not conning me.”
Keown added: “I bet he doesn’t play again this season. He’ll have some emotional breakdown and won’t play this weekend.”
When Keown’s comments were put to Wenger, he said: “I don’t agree with that. You will see that he gave a lot. It was a difficult team, physically very intense.
“I’m convinced that Ozil should not be criticized by anyone just because he did not score. We had plenty of opportunities and we lose as a team.”
Wenger also delivered an update on the fitness of Laurent Koscielny, who had to be carried off on a stretcher in the 12th minute after the defender went down, with nobody near him, clutching his left Achilles.
Arsenal and France now face an anxious wait.
“It doesn’t look very good, it’s his Achilles,” Wenger said. “You can always hope for a miracle in the scan but if he has a ruptured Achilles, his chances for the World Cup are non-existent.”
Costa was the star of the show, providing the tenacity and killer instinct Arsenal so desperately lacked.
“Costa came back here for nights like this,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. “To be important, to lead from the front. This side needs an aggressive striker and that’s exactly what he is.”
‘Sad’ Arsene Wenger defends Mesut Ozil after Atletico Madrid defeat
‘Sad’ Arsene Wenger defends Mesut Ozil after Atletico Madrid defeat
- Diego Costa sinks the Gunners in semfinal
- Ozil accused of shedding crocodile tears after Europa League exit
Shayan Jahangir and Jordan Cox ensure Dubai Capitals a play-off spot
- The defending champions become the third team after Desert Vipers and MI Emirates to make the playoffs of DP World ILT20 Season 4
DUBAI: Shayan Jahangir and Jordan Cox registered fifties to help defending champions Dubai Capitals sail into the play-offs with a strong six-wicket win over Sharjah Warriorz on Christmas Eve at the Dubai International Stadium.
Jahangir was also resourceful behind the stumps, getting dangerman Tom Kohler-Cadmore out in an impressive all-round performance.
Chasing 135, Dubai Capitals made light work of the target with an early blitz by Jahangir and an unbeaten Cox, who set the Dubai International Stadium ablaze scoring 61 off 50 balls with six fours and one six. His effort also fetched him the green belt, putting him on top of the highest scorers list in the tournament so far.
Jahangir and Cox set up a partnership of 76 runs off 63 balls after they lost opening batter Sediqullah Atal with just 17 on board. It was Harmeet Singh who bowled him out, but it took the Warriorz a lifetime to find another breakthrough. However, Sikandar Raza’s over made up for the long wicket-less spells as he picked up two crucial back-to-back wickets — that of half-centurion Jahangir and Mohammad Nabi in the 14th over. Jahangir was caught at long-on by Kohler-Cadmore while Nabi (4 off 4) holed out to deep square leg.
Taskin Ahmed packed off Leus Du Plooy (5 off 6) in the 17th over, but the Capitals were already racing towards victory at this point. Jordon Cox became the cynosure of the chase, breaking no sweat to make the target in five balls to spare.
The Dubai Capitals’ bowlers had also done exceedingly well, restricting the Warriorz total to a paltry 134/8 with Haider Ali and Waqar Salamkheil picking up two wickets each. Ali was extremely economical too, giving away just 13 runs in four overs. David Willey, Mustafizur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi bagged a wicket each, contributing to the Capitals’ third successive victory that has landed them in the play-offs.
Asked to bat first, Sharjah Warriorz had an uneventful outing at the crease. Just as the opening batters were settling in, the Warriorz received an early jolt when Monank Patel (24 off 13) was run out by a quick-thinking David Willey. A mix up in the middle, Patel was sent back by Charles (43 off 46) with Willey at arm’s length from the bails. Losing a wicket in the fifth over with just 34 runs on board was a setback and it did not help the Warriorz cause when Haider Ali bowled Tom Abell (9 off 10 balls).
Kohler-Cadmore (3 off 4) followed suit. He was stumped by Shayan Jahangir while attempting to go big off Haider Ali but he was nowhere close to the ball and Jahangir was bang-on.
With just 65/3 on board in 10 overs, the Warriorz needed a solid partnership that could keep them afloat on a slow track at the Ring of Fire. There was still some hope with opener Johnson Charles piloting the innings and power hitter Sikandar Raza joining him after Kohler-Cadmore’s dismissal. Raza was also gifted a new lease of life when Jahangir dropped a simple catch off Haider Ali’s ball. Unfortunately, Raza (8 off 11) could not muster much from this opportunity as he lost his wicket, in a caught-and-bowled effort by Mustafizur Rahman.
Charles followed a couple of overs after, when he was attempting to pull towards the long-on boundary, but Willey took a fine low catch ending Charles’ batting prowess with two boundaries and two sixes.
From here on, the Warriorz were on a spiral, losing almost four wickets in the death overs but for the 24 runs coming off the final two overs. Adil Rashid and Harmeet Singh scored a quick 14 runs each. Tim Southee (5 off 2) contributed towards the Warriorz’ total to a chasable 134/8 in 20 overs.
Player of the match Cox said: “It was quite tough against spin, but when the seamers came on, we tried to put them under pressure. Jahangir was very impressive. We’ve been encouraging him to be aggressive, and it was great to watch from the other end. For me, it was about not leaving it to the next man.”
Sharjah Warriorz captain Southee commented: “We had to keep taking wickets to be in with a chance. The nature of the wickets is keeping sides in it for long. Not over for us. One game left, we win that and give ourselves a chance.”
