Arsene Wenger has jumped to the defence of Gunners midfielder Jack Wilshere after a number of scathing comments from former Manchester United star Roy Keane.
Keane was highly critical of Arsenal and Wilshere after their 2-1 defeat to Swedish side Ostersunds during the week.
The Irishman said: “Where do I start? I think Arsenal are a great example on how not to start a game of football. We can talk about being a shambles but they’re so slow out of the blocks – poor attitude.
“The manager summed it up. No energy, no desire, you’re looking for your senior players to lead by example.
“I always think, when Wilshere’s your captain, to me, probably the most overrated player on the planet.”
Harsh criticism from the former United midfielder who has developed a reputation for ‘saying it as it is’ since his move into punditry after retirement.
However, Wenger, who was equally critical of his own side following the defeat, believes the comments on Wilshere were unjust.
“It’s very difficult [to understand that],” Wenger said. “Personally I rate Jack very highly. After that, you can have opinions.
“Jack was in a team on Thursday night that didn’t perform well so it was not easy for him as well. Was it one of his best performances last night? Certainly not.
“But Roy Keane knows that can happen to everybody.”
Arsenal face AC Milan in the last 16 of the competition after being drawn against the Italian giants on Friday afternoon.
Although the draw to face the Italian giants may seem like one of the most difficult ties in the round of 16 it might well be worth using a Promotion code to have a punt on the match.
Both sides sit outside the Champions League qualification places in their respective leagues. The Italian giants are seven points in arrears of city rivals Inter Milan in 4th in Serie A as it is the top four who qualify for the Champions League next season. The Gunners are in sixth position in the Premier League a massive ten points behind North London rivals Spurs who are in fourth place.
The two clubs do have a colourful history facing each other in European competition.
Back in 2012 Arsenal faced AC Milan in the Champions League round of 16 with Milan winning 4-0 at home and Arsenal winning 3-0 at home.
Just the same as in 2012, AC Milan play at home for the first game on March 8 before travelling to the Emirates Stadium for the second leg a week later.