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Wenger plans talks with Ozil over title lament

London - Arsene Wenger plans talks with Mesut Ozil after the Arsenal midfielder claimed the Gunners had "screwed up" their Premier League title challenge.

Wenger's side are 11 points behind leaders Leicester despite sitting top at the turn of the year after a miserable run of just three wins in 10 league games.

Ozil responded to Arsenal's poor run by suggesting they had only themselves to blame for wasting the chance to win a first English title since 2004.

Wenger, speaking ahead of Watford's visit to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, made it clear he was unhappy with the Germany star's comments.

The Gunners boss will discuss with Ozil what he said to the media while away on international duty in a bid to keep his squad united at a pivotal moment in their season.

"I will make sure they don't feel that," Wenger replied when asked if he was worried such comments suggested his players had given up on their title fight.

"The statement is not welcome, I agree with you. Because we have to believe, no matter if it just one chance in 100, we have to believe. We only have a real chance if we believe.

Asked if he would discuss the quotes with Ozil, Wenger said: "We will talk about that. Yes, of course.

"You want to be fair and honest. I think the worst thing in life is to have wrong beliefs.

"So you have to make sure that you give absolutely your best, and at the end accept that if somebody is better than you, that you have given your best.

"The worst thing for us would be not to believe, and then if we had a good run it was available, possible. I believe that we have to make sure that we play with passion until the end."

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