Arsene Wenger scoffs at Arsenal captain Per Mertesacker – 'I don't listen to players who talk after disappointment'

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has responded to Per Mertesacker's comments after the Champions League elimination, claiming he doesn't "listen too much to players who talk too much after the game."

Following the Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Monaco, which meant Arsenal were knocked out on away goals (3-3 on the aggregate), the captain admitted the Ligue 1 side deserved to go through and claimed the Gunners are still far from the Europe giants.

Asked how far they were from winning the competition, he said: "Far. When you get knocked out, you are far away. Monaco were very underestimated but they deserved it by playing well in the first leg. We had one bad game and that was enough to get knocked out. We were missing some good fortune in the second leg but we didn't deserve it because we played so poorly in the first leg.

Wenger responded to his captain during the press conference ahead of the game against Newcastle on 21 March, according to Mirror: "When you go out in the last 16 you are far always. I don't listen too much to players who talk after the game, after disappointment. We know why we went out of the game."

The boss added that the disappointing elimination was eventually due to their dreadful defensive performance during the 3-1 defeat against the Ligue 1 side at the Emirates Stadium in the first leg.

"We have to move on. We know why we went out - it's down to a dreadful defensive performance in the first leg. We are on a good run and we won the game. We are frustrated and disappointed we are out but it was not down to our performance on Tuesday night. It was down to our overall performance. We were a bit unlucky as well because if you look at the number of shots on target that Monaco had over the two games we were more efficient," said Wenger.

Meanwhile the manager has claimed that the away goal rule is outdated and should change in the near future: "Its two teams that have gone out on away goals that it should be questioned. It is a rule that is outdated. In direct knockout you can be a bit lucky as well. None of the teams apart from Barcelona appear to be that much superior. It should count maybe after extra time. This rule has been created in the sixties. The weight of the away goal is perhaps too big today. I still think you can count it maybe after extra time."