Arsenal academy chief Per Mertesacker says the players let down Arsene Wenger in his final seasons in charge.

The 69-year-old announced prior to the end of the 2017/18 season that he would be leaving Arsenal.

But he was not able to finish his tenure on a high, with the Gunners slumping to a sixth-placed finish and going out of the Europa League at the semi-final stage.

Mertesacker said: “First and foremost, Wenger saw us as human beings and he had a lot of faith in us, which is why he stood by us.

"Ultimately, we as players need to ask ourselves whether we did everything possible to justify his trust.

"Did we implement his instructions perfectly? Were we pulling together? Did we learn from our mistakes? No.

"Wenger has won three Premier League titles, which is proof enough of his standing as a ­manager. The team, on the other hand, had fallen short since 2004."