Paul Merson lays into Mesut Ozil after Rennes defeat as Arsenal midfielder struggles in Europa League tie

Paul Merson lays into Mesut Ozil after Rennes defeat as Arsenal midfielder struggles in Europa League tie
Paul Merson tore into Mesut Ozil in the wake of Arsenal’s crushing defeat to Rennes on Thursday night.The Ligue 1 side capitalised on a numerical advantage in their Europa League tie to record an emphatic 3-1 win in France.3

Ozil did not play the full 90 minutes in France on Thursday

Arsenal raced into an early lead courtesy of Alex Iwobi but a first-half red card for Sokratis Papastathopoulos turned the game in favour of Rennes.Hatem Ben Arfa, facing his former Paris St Germain boss Unai Emery, looked sharp as a stunning strike from Benjamin Bourigeaud, Nacho Monreals own goal and a late Ismaila Sarr header saw the hosts run out deserved winners.In order to reshuffle, Mesut Ozil was withdrawn late on in the game as Unai Emery pushed for at least an equaliser.But Merson believes the German is a liability and should have been taken off much sooner.3

The midfielder was a passenger for much of the game

“You have got to take Ozil off, Merson said. Because now you are playing with nine and a half really.Youre not playing with ten because he is not going to get back into shape, hes not going to get back and tackle anybody.“So I think he probably would have thought Ill come off here“He doesnt want to play with 10, he finds it hard with 11 sometimes if he doesnt get out of the right side of bed.3

The Arsenal players were stunned by the Rennes battering

“So, with 10, at least he can go Ive had enough, Ive done my bit.”The second leg will take place on Thursday at the Emirates stadium where Emery’s side will need to score twice without reply to advance.Merson told Drive he believes the Gunners will get the job done, but they have put themselves under ‘sever pressure’.

---

Arsenal target's agent spotted in Manchester as transfer saga takes twist (Pic: GETTY) The Gunners have been monitoring the 18-year-old defender's situation as he looks set to leave Saint-Etienne this summer. It's understood the Ligue 1 side have slapped a £26m price tag on Saliba.
William Saliba's agent spotted in Manchester amid United and

---

'DISGRACE TO THIS CLUB' Manchester United fans on Twitter call for Jose Mourinho to be sacked after seeing team to face Southampton at St Mary's. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
This Week in History: First Phone Call | TopWorldTimes

---

Newcastle United's resurgence of late means Rafael Benitez's side are sitting pretty in 13th place, but how does their overall form in the past seven months compare to last season? In an incredible discovery by Twitter user @ToonPolls , The Magpies have won the same amount of games, scored the same amount of goals and picked up exactly the
Newcastle's Record This Season Compared To Last Is Exactly

---

Everton boss Marco Silva has no interest in affecting title race ahead of Manchester City visit Doing title challengers City or Liverpool a favour is the last thing on Silva's mind, according to
Under-fire Marco Silva safe for now after backing from owner

---

Summer transfer window verdict on EVERY Premier League club - including Manchester United's 'shambles' Which clubs are best set for the new Premier League season after their summer recruitment drive?
Transfer window verdict: how every Premier League club fared

---

General captain of Black Stars, Asamoah Gyan believes the Black Stars can only win the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt with hard work. The four times African champions have struggled to win Africa's finest tournament since 1982 in Libya. However, the Black Stars have come close in winning the ultimate in 1982, 2010 and 2015.
Gyan retires ahead of Africa nations cup | The Daily Star

---

Team news. City . De Bruyne returned to action at the beginning of December after a six-week absence with a knee injury but missed the win at Southampton because of a muscle problem. Guardiola confirmed his condition is improving and says he will be checked by the Club's medical staff tomorrow morning before a decision is made on his involvement.
Watch Live: Man City v. Liverpool - ProSoccerTalk

---

Championship There's a good chance that the automatic promotion spots in the Championship won't be decided until the final few rounds, with four sides in the running. Stoke City took their league win streak to five matches in a row with a 1-0 win over playoff hopefuls Ipswich on Saturday.
Patrick Bamford on target as Leeds win at Bristol City

---

Popular Videos - Steve Holland Steve Holland - Topic Chelsea players text ex No2 Steve Holland due to their poor relationship with boss Antonio Conte Conte and England assistant Holland
Fulham vs Chelsea LIVE: Team news CONFIRMED; Kepa

---

He has been linked with Chelsea and Bayern Munich but the manager is in no rush to find a new job after leaving Juventus. Massimiliano Allegri insists he has no issues with taking a year out from football if the right opportunity does not present itself following his Juventus exit.
Allegri staying at Juventus and targeting improvement - One

---

Liverpool weather: Could Reds' Premier League clash vs

---