EPL: People blame me for defeats even when I don't play - Arsenal star claims

Arsenal centre-back, Shkodran Mustafi, has claimed that the criticism of his performances for the club has become escalated and irrational.

According to Mustafi, he gets blamed for the Gunners defeats even when he doesn't play a match for the North London club.

The former Valencia star joined Arsenal in 2016 in a deal worth around £35 million.

"In the first two years after my move to Arsenal in 2016, things went very well for me," the 27-year-old told German outlet, Speigel.

"But shortly after Christmas 2018 there was a kink. I've made a few mistakes and they've created a mess that I've never experienced before."

"I'm self-critical enough to realise that I made mistakes," Mustafi added. "I can also deal with tough criticism. But the criticism has become escalated and irrational. I have become a target. At some point, people even blamed me for a defeat I had not played in at all."

"There were days when I really doubted something about myself. But at some point, I realised that I am mentally strong.

"Something my wife said helped me a lot: 'If you were really as bad as people are making you out, you would never have been a World Champion and Arsenal player, something must have brought you here'. Since then I can handle it better."