Jeffers: Osgood comments 'beyond belief'

Francis Jeffers has hit back at comments by former Chelsea star Peter Osgood that it would be good to see him "taken out" and get "really hurt".

Osgood's made the astonishing verbal blast during an interview with Sky Sports News, where he also claimed the 22-year-old was a "cheat" and a "disgrace" to Arsenal following a controversial penalty awarded when Jeffers went down under the challenge of Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini during the FA Cup quarter-final tie at Highbury.

Jeffers, though, responded on Arsenal's official website: "I have been made aware of Peter Osgood's outrageous comments. As an ex-pro he has a responsibility to the game as a whole.

"Perhaps he's trying too hard to justify his existence as a controversial pundit."

"I take exception to his allegation of cheating. To go further and state he wants a fellow professional to really hurt another is quite frankly beyond belief."