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LONDON. — Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil says his critics are missing the mark when they claim he does not perform well in the “big” games.

Ozil also said he will be staying at Arsenal until the conclusion of his contract in the summer of 2021.

Ozil has long been criticised for his inability to dictate or change the course of games against Arsenal’s direct rivals.

In 42 Premier League games against Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham, the German has scored six goals and assisted nine, while three Champions League meetings with Barcelona have garnered none of either. He has scored twice and assisted once in seven matches against Bayern Munich.

The German says he is always blamed when Arsenal themselves perform poorly in such games, also pointing out that “small” games “don’t really exist”.

“It always happens that an ex-player stands there on TV and criticises me,” he told The Athletic. “Others just continue the theme and it gets in everyone’s heads. “If we don’t do well in a ‘big’ game, it’s always my fault. If that’s true, how do you explain our results in the ‘big’ games when I wasn’t involved? There’s no real difference. I know people expect me to offer more, dictate play and make the difference — I do, too — but it’s not that straightforward.

“I’m not the only player in the team and, don’t forget, some of our opponents are simply better than us. Also, what is a ‘big’ or ‘small’ game? In the Premier League, anyone can beat anyone. Look at Wolves and Norwich beating Man City, or Newcastle and West Ham beating Man United.

“So, you can’t say my good performances only came in ‘small’ games because these games don’t really exist. The intensity is there in every match and often the ‘small’ teams raise their standard against the ‘big’ teams.” — AFP.