Samir Nasri: "Arsene Wenger is a magician"

Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri hailed Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger as a “magician” and believes the criticism his former manager has received is unjustified, according to ESPN.

The 26-year-old signed for Arsenal from Marseille in 2008 and became a key member of their team but spent just three years in north London before opting to join free-spending Manchester City for £25 million.

Wenger has overseen a dramatic trophy drought at the Emirates but Nasri, who ironically left the club in the pursuit of silverware, believes his compatriot has done an excellent job with a limited budget under the circumstances.

“Arsene Wenger didn’t have the funds to build the team he wanted. I know him really well and he is not happy when he is not winning so I think it is a little bit hard on him because for me is a magician for everything he has done for Arsenal,” he declared.

The Gunners slipped to third place in the table with defeat against Stoke last weekend and it is widely believed their title challenge will soon come to an end due to a gruelling run of fixtures in upcoming weeks. However, Nasri, is still wary of the threat they pose during the run-in, although City are just two points behind Wenger’s side in fourth place with two games in hand.

“Look in the league. They are there and they will be there until the end. They were unlucky like us to draw a team like Bayern Munich. In the FA Cup they are still there so they spent some money and they have a good team,” he added.