Can Unai Emery get the best out of Mesut Ozil consistently?

Playmaker ran the show for Arsenal against Leicester

After Arsenal’s emphatic 5-1 win against Fulham before the international break, some wondered whether there was space for Mesut Ozil in Unai Emery’s strongest side.

Ozil missed the game at Craven Cottage as his teammates tore the hosts apart. Emery set his side out in a 4-4-2 system in West London, which had no obvious spot for the German.

But the 30-year-old answered any doubts emphatically with a sensational display in Monday’s 3-1 win over Leicester City. He wore the captain’s armband and scored the first goal, was heavily involved in the second and carved the Foxes open to create the third.

It’s the sort of display he hasn’t produced often enough during his time in England. Can Emery get him to hit those heights more regularly?

Solid foundation

One of the main criticisms of Ozil is that he doesn’t offer enough defensively. But asking him to track full-backs or mark a man closely takes away from what he is good at. He’s one of the best creative players in the world. The bigger issue is that Arsenal’s system couldn’t accommodate Ozil’s free role without being too open at the back.

The arrival of Lucas Torreira may be the answer to that problem. The Uruguayan is the sort of player Arsenal have lacked for too long. He wins the ball back in the middle of the park and moves it on quickly.

A midfield duo of Torreira and Granit Xhaka provides plenty of defensive protection, which means Ozil can be left to orchestrate the play higher up the pitch.

Runners off the ball

While Ozil is an incredibly gifted player, he relies on his teammates to make use of his gifts. His vision and passing ability are useless without players to pick out.