Arsene Wenger has insisted midfielder Mesut Ozil should not be made a scapegoat for the failing of Arsenal.

Ozil was criticized for his play in the Champions League this week against Dortmund.

"Why should Ozil be a scapegoat? We've lost one game since April 1," Wenger responded.

"We have come out of a very difficult preparation period with decisive games. We had very difficult games against Besiktas [Champions League playoff match]. I don't know -- a scapegoat for what?

"Fans need to be patient. You want your best players in every game but you have to be united and go through hard periods. The criticism [of Ozil] is unfair because it's post-World Cup. It takes a few months for them to get back to their best.

"What is difficult to manage today is that everybody knows absolutely everything and everybody judges people definitely on one game. You have to accept that football is played by human beings who have ups and downs like you have in your life.

"You have plenty of tacticians in the world who have managed zero games. You have to accept their opinion -- they might be right, they might be wrong as well. They have to accept that."