Man admits to trying to rob Arsenal stars Mesut Özil and Sead Kolasinac Published duration 6 November 2019

media caption Arsenal star confronts carjackers in London

A second man has admitted trying to rob Arsenal footballers Mesut Özil and Sead Kolasinac in a moped ambush.

Jordan Northover, 26, pleaded guilty at Harrow Crown Court to attempting to steal watches from the pair in Hampstead, north-west London.

CCTV footage showed Bosnian defender Kolasinac chasing off the two masked attackers on 25 July.

In the video that circulated on social media, 26-year-old Kolasinac is seen fighting off two men who are wielding knives.

He can be seen jumping out of a vehicle to confront the masked men who had pulled alongside the car on mopeds.

World Cup winner Özil can also be seen in his black Mercedes G class jeep before he reportedly took refuge in a Turkish restaurant.

New CCTV footage released by police shows full-back Kolasinac being prodded with a pointed weapon by one of the men.

image copyright Met Police image caption Ashley Smith (left) and Jordan Northover both admitted trying to rob the Arsenal stars

The Met Police said a key breakthrough came when a moped without number plates was spotted by a member of the public in a cul-de-sac in Borehamwood, south Hertfordshire.

Inquiries revealed it was the same bike used in the raid, the force said.

CCTV from a local pub showed Northover and Smith visiting a short time after the offence, with their clothes and a motorcycle helmet found on grassland near the bar.

Ch Insp Jim Corbett said the men "attempted this brazen robbery after travelling around streets nearby, looking for people to rob".

"Northover didn't hesitate to draw a weapon when making demands, but he didn't bargain on being challenged and the pair went away empty-handed," he said.

image copyright Reuters image caption Arsenal said both Sead Kolasinac and Mesut Özil were fine after the incident

Kolasinac and Germany midfielder Özil were left out of the Arsenal side ahead of the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign after the incident.

"Sead's reaction was really, really brave because he attacked one of the attackers," he said.

"I tried to move the car, block them, escape, but each time they would be there. My wife was extremely scared."

Smith will be sentenced at Harrow Crown Court on Friday, and Northover will be sentenced at a later date.