Arsenal players knife attack – Property owner ‘attacked five times in same area’

The owner of a London property outside which Arsenal footballers Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac were attacked has said he has been targeted five times in the same area.

The property owner, who chose not to be named, said he had a knife held to his neck in one incident, and called for police to “pull their finger out” after a spate of crimes in that part of north-west London.

Kolasinac fought off two men wielding knives after he and Arsenal teammate Ozil were confronted by masked aggressors on Platts Lane, Hampstead, shortly before 5pm on Thursday.

“I’ve been done five times myself,” he said. “I had a knife held to my neck at midday at the traffic lights, I was physically thrown in a bus lane at 6.30am when I was coming out of my office – the list goes on and on.

“The last time (it happened) I was at the property,” he added.

The property owner, who no longer resides there, said he was “targeted” and did not think the incident with the footballers was linked as his attackers were arrested and “went down for 16 years”.

However, he said the attacks were “all in the Hampstead area” and added that he drives “very high profile” cars with “very, very personalised number plates”.

“I think it’s about time the police pulled their finger out and started to protect people who are entitled to protection,” he said.

“The situation has gone too far and I don’t believe the police can ever get on top of this situation, it’s out of control.”

A video of Thursday’s incident which has been circulated on social media shows the moment Kolasinac jumped out of a car to confront the masked aggressors, after they had pulled alongside the car on mopeds.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “It was reported that suspects on motorbikes had attempted to rob a man who was driving a car.

“The driver, along with his passenger, managed to get away unharmed and travelled to a restaurant in Golders Green, where they were spoken to by officers.”

An Arsenal spokesman said: “We have been in contact with both players and they are fine.”