Samir Nasri showed true colours with four-word Arsene Wenger comment after Arsenal exit

Samir Nasri once showed his true colours by leaping to the defence of Arsene Wenger. Nasri stated it was "impossible to criticise" the manager at a time when Arsenal fans were calling for Wenger’s exit, in spite of his own bad-blood with the London side.

As two of Nasri's former clubs - Arsenal and Manchester City - gear up for a titanic Premier League showdown at the Emirates Stadium this Sunday, the stakes couldn't be higher. In what has become a heated fixture in recent times, City are aiming to close the gap on Arsenal to three points, while the Gunners cannot afford to drop points if they hope to keep pace with league leaders Liverpool. And there is no doubt over who Nasri will want to win.

Before lifting two Premier League trophies at the Etihad Stadium, Nasri was adored by the Arsenal faithful. His move from Marseille in 2008 saw him flourish under fellow Frenchman Wenger, becoming a key player during his three years in north London.

He enjoyed a brilliant 2010/2011 season and was tipped to become Arsenal's talisman following Cesc Fabregas' exit, but made the shock decision to leave in the summer of 2011. Not only that, the winger would join City, becoming the fourth Arsenal player to quit the club for the Abu Dhabi-funded side in a short space of time, following the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure and Gael Clichy.

His exit therefore left a bitter taste in the mouths of Arsenal fans, who jeered him in his final game for the club against Liverpool. Nasri was seen as a mercenary by supporters for betraying the club that played a crucial role in his development. And the already-deteriorated relationship with Arsenal fans was severed completely when he appeared to admit he left for financial reasons.

"I don't have any regrets," Nasri said after his controversial move to 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."

Further infuriating Arsenal supporters, he sought to clarify his comments in a 2014 interview with The Telegraph, insisting his departure was driven by silverware while highlighting Arsenal's trophy drought. He also told beIN Sport: "I don't regret leaving Arsenal. I won the league while Arsenal have difficulty finishing fourth."

His comments unsurprisingly led to hostility each time he returned to face his former side, with no love lost on the pitch either as he clashed with ex-Gunners midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong on one occasion.

It therefore came as a surprise when Nasri gave a classy response in 2017 when asked about Wenger, who was facing increasing pressure to step down from his role of over two decades. A vocal section of Gunners supporters were calling for Wenger to be sacked while the media questioned the Frenchman’s capabilities, following a dismal spell from January to April 2017.

No one would have expected Nasri, who was on a season-long 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."

He explained that, despite his broken relationship with the fans, his respect for Wenger remained intact. "It's hard for me to say something about him because I owe him a lot of things," Nasri admitted.

"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 went on to say: "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’s reign finally ended in 2018 amid growing frustration in N5, severing Nasri’s ties with the London outfit completely. Six years later, he admitted he would be cheering on City over the club he made 125 appearances for when they next faced each other.