Arsenal star Mesut Ozil has become a 'scapegoat' for bad results and was not the reason Bayern Munich scored five goals, claims agent Erkut Sogut

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Mesut Ozil believes he has become a scapegoat for Arsenal's failings, according to his agent and legal representative Dr Erkut Sogut. 

Bayern Munich all but sealed a passage to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 5-1 victory over the Gunners and the 28-year-old came under intense scrutiny after failing to make an impact on proceedings. 

It was the latest in a series of anonymous performances from Ozil, who has not found the back of the net since December 10 and has only one assist to his name this calendar year.

Mesut Ozil failed to make an impact as Arsenal fell to a heavy defeat against Bayern Munich

But Ozil's failings are not only down to him, according to Sogut, who believes the former Real Madrid star has been singled out because he is the biggest and easiest target.

Sogut told the BBC: 'Criticism is normal if a player plays badly, but Mesut feels people are not focusing on his performance; they are using him as a scapegoat for the team after bad results.

'Bayern had 74 per cent possession. How can someone in the No 10 position create chances if you don't have the ball? Was he the reason that Arsenal conceded five goals?

Ozil has become scapegoat amongst Arsenal fans, but the whole team is failing to perform

'In these games people usually target a player who cost a lot of money and earns a lot of money - that is Mesut. But he can't be always be the scapegoat. That's not fair.'

Arsenal's record signing completed just 20 passes in the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night but that was nowhere near as bad as some of his Arsenal team-mates with Francis Coquelin, for example, completing just six.

It is statistics like that one that convince Sogut that Ozil had been set up to fail before the match had even kicked off and suggested Arsenal fans simply needed someone to blame if, as expected, they were defeated.

'It started before the match, throughout the week leading up to the game. People started discussing: "Should he play? Should he be dropped?".

'It was as if everyone knew Arsenal would not make it through and we needed a scapegoat. This is not right. You win as a team and you lose as a team.' 

The former Real Madrid star has been singled out because he is the biggest and easiest target

Ozil managed to complete just 20 passes against Bayern Munich but that wasn't the lowest