Samir Nasri made Arsene Wenger feelings clear with four-word comment after Arsenal exit

Samir Nasri made his feelings towards Arsene Wenger clear by rushing to the defence of the manager while he was under fire at Arsenal, stating it's "impossible to criticise him" despite his bad-blood with the London side.

Two of Nasri's former clubs - Arsenal and Manchester City - go head-to-head this Sunday at the Emirates Stadium in what is expected to be a feisty Premier League encounter. While City will look to close the gap on Arsenal to just three points, the Gunners must win to keep pace with league leaders Liverpool. And there are no doubts over who Nasri will be supporting, given his history.

Before winning two league titles at the Etihad Stadium, the retired Frenchman was adored by the red half of north London. His transfer from Marseille in 2008 saw him thrive under compatriot Wenger, becoming a key player over the course of three seasons with Arsenal.

But after a career-best 2010/2011 season, just as he was poised to become Arsenal focal point after Cesc Fabregas’ exit, Nasri made the shock decision to leave in the summer of 2011. Adding to the controversy, he chose to join City, adding his name to a growing list of departures for the Abu Dhabi-backed club, alongside Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, and Gael Clichy.

He was met with boos in his final appearance against Liverpool by those who previously cheered him on, and was accused of betraying the club which had built his career. The already-deteriorated relationship with Arsenal fans was severed completely when he appeared to suggest he left for financial reasons.

"I don't have any regrets," Nasri brazenly said after joining City. "Yes, economically I have a better life now than what I had at Arsenal. It's normal. If I said to you tomorrow that there is another journal, as serious as your journal, that offers you three times your salary, I think you are going to go there! But my first motive was to win trophies."

That didn't sit well with the Arsenal faithful, who were only further incensed when, in 2014, he revisited the issue. Speaking to The Telegraph, he clarified that his decision stemmed from wanting to win trophies, pointing to the lack of silverware during his Arsenal spell. He also told beIN Sport: "I don't regret leaving Arsenal. I won the league while Arsenal have difficulty finishing fourth."

The animosity was clear to see each of the seven times Nasri lined up against Arsenal in City colours. It even led to an on-field scuffle with ex-Gunners midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong on one occasion.

And so it was a surprising move when Nasri displayed a touch of class towards Wenger during a period when the Frenchman was under intense scrutiny. A growing number of Arsenal fans were calling for Wenger's dismissal, while the media questioned whether the Frenchman had lost his mojo after a dreadful run of results between January and April 2017.

Few would have expected Nasri, who was on loan to Sevilla from City at the time, to defend Wenger, as he said: "You cannot criticise a guy like that, it is impossible. Arsenal was a big club but he made it even bigger. People need to be fair. It is not because Arsenal don't have success in the league that it's his fault, that is the players who are on the pitch, it's the players who do not get the results."

Nasri revealed that despite his strained relationship with the fans, he still had huge respect for Le Professeur, and that it was never personal. "It's hard for me to say something about him because I owe him a lot of things," Nasri said.

"I came to the Premier League because of him and I have had a good career because of him too. He gave me confidence and he made me a better player and I just think all the players who played with him, when they left they became better players."

He also said: "Wenger is the best coach I've worked with. I only regret not having more discussions with Arsene when I left. He's the one who understood me the most and made me the player I am. I'm thankful."

Wenger finally parted ways with Arsenal in 2018 after more than two decades, severing Nasri's remaining connections to the north London outfit. Six years later, the former France international admitted his allegiances lay with City rather than the team he represented 125 times whenever the two sides clashed.

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