Arsenal manager Unai Emery has dismissed speculation that he had a training ground argument with Mesut Ozil on Friday, instead claiming that the player’s absence from the club’s 3-1 victory over West Ham was because of “sickness”.
Ozil was unexpectedly left out of Arsenal’s match day squad for the home match against West Ham, with Aaron Ramsey taking his place in the starting XI.
Shortly ahead of the match rumours began circulating that Ozil had had a row with Emery at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground, after being told that he would start Saturday’s game on the substitutes bench.
But Emery dismissed this speculation, instead insisting that the player had been left out because of a heavy cold.
“The information isn’t true. I don’t know who started telling people this information,” Emery said after the 3-1 win, the first of his Arsenal tenure. “He was sick yesterday. And it was decided that he would not play today.”
Emery added that Ozil has been seen by the club’s doctors since falling ill, and that he was given permission by the club to leave training early.
“If you ask me, the doctor, or the club. He was sick,” Emery said. “He left training because he was going home. He was sick. Today he was here. I said come if you feel better and he felt better.
“Before the match he was with the team and with me. So there is no problem with the player. Ask the doctor, he can explain better.”
In Ozil’s absence Ramsey was included in Emery’s starting line-up and had an impressive game, as Arsenal fought back from conceding early in the match to Marko Arnautović, with Nacho Monreal and Danny Welbeck scored either side of an Issa Diop own goal.
And Emery made sure to single out the Welshman for praise in his post-match press conference.
“He worked 90 minutes. Each moment he played when the team needed him. His speed and experience is very important for us,” he said.
“They can give him the ball in a difficult moment because he plays with high personality.”
