Arsenal v Sunderland: Mesut Ozil left out of Gunners squad after midweek penalty heartache

Ozil's saved penalty attempt against Bayern Munich looked to severely affect his confidence and Wenger had hinted at leaving the £42.5m man out this weekend

Mesut Özil’s lacklustre display showed the effects of a busy run of games since Christmas (Getty Images)

Club-record signing Mesut Ozil was left out of the Arsenal squad for Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash against Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium.

The German playermaker had missed an early penalty in the midweek 2-0 home defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League, and was taken off the frontline by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger. Striker Olivier Giroud returned to the starting XI as did midfielder Mikel Arteta, who was suspended for the European tie.

Sunderland are set to play Manchester City in the Capital One Cup final next weekend, but are also scrapping for top-flight survival. Goalkeeper Vito Mannone faced his old club, but former Gunners midfielder Seb Larsson had to be content with a place on the bench.

More to follow...

PA