In an explosive interview with 888Sport, former Arsenal and Spurs midfielder David Bentley has hit out at Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez for only concentrating on themselves and not helping the club’s younger players in this tricky spell for the Gunners.

What’s the story?

We all know that Arsenal are in a spot of bother right now. Recent results have seen them tumble out of the top four and down to sixth place leaving the mood in north London almost toxic, with fans protesting at Arsene Wenger remaining in charge of the club and stories breaking surrounding the futures of Sanchez and Ozil on an almost daily basis.

Both have been linked with summer exits as their contracts edge towards their final 12 months and with the spotlight on them, their every action is monitored. Ozil missed the recent loss at West Brom while Sanchez appeared frustrated on the pitch at The Hawthorns, and Bentley, speaking exclusively to 888Sport, has had his say on the pair:

“Walcott, Wilshere and Oxlade-Chamberlain have played an awful lot of games yet you still feel they are young players, you feel they still need someone around them. Instead they have Ozil and Sanchez and they’re players who concentrate only on themselves.

“They’re not worried about whether the training ground atmosphere is good or what it’s like in the dressing room or if the young players are okay. They only care about themselves because they are players of that nature. That’s fine – you do need those players in a team – but what Arsenal are lacking is leadership.

“I’ve been in dressing rooms where you come in and experienced players are punching the walls and throwing things and saying ‘what were you doing? Why didn’t you pick that runner up?’ to the young lads.

“I don’t think that’s happening and I should imagine the dressing room after losing 3-1 away at West Brom had players with their heads down and looking to get out of there as early as possible. They move on too quickly and it’s having an effect on Arsenal which is a shame because it’s a great club.”

Bentley on Wenger

Bentley, 32, didn’t stop there, with the seven-time England international, who retired from the sport in 2014, suggesting that Wenger is at risk of tarnishing his legacy at the club if he stays on beyond the end of his contract this summer:

“Arsene is a legend. He’s unbelievable and ingrained in the football club. He is Arsenal. But every good thing must come to an end and you wouldn’t want all this to fizzle out. Ferguson did the right thing and left his legacy intact.

“It’s his decision but does he want to be remembered as the great Wenger or be painted as he has been these past three or four seasons? Yet he could still turn it around. I believe a couple of signings of the pedigree of an Ibrahimovic and it can be a different story. They would nurture the players they already have.”

Read the full 888sport interview with David Bentley, including his thoughts on why it’s time for Wenger to leave

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