Arsene Wenger has praised Mesut Ozil’s recent upturn in form, whilst claiming that he is enjoying his role in the new Arsenal formation.
The Gunners have won six of their last seven matches since the Frenchman opted to change to a 3-4-2-1 system, with Ozil starting each of the seven in one of the two roles in behind the striker.
The German international scored a sublime goal in yesterday’s 4-1 win over Stoke City, prompting the manager to give the plaudits to our in-form star.
“That’s what you want from him,” the manager told Arsenal Player. “I think that he has blossomed in this position now and overall he enjoys it.
“I must say, individually when the confidence is high in the team, you see that all the players play well.
“I think this result is a continuity of what we have done during the week. We played well against Man United, we played well at Southampton and again here. So overall, I think we had an exceptional performance, we have a great team spirit and I am very proud of what we did.
“We have not a lot of recovery because the games come very thick and fast and we just have to maintain the focus and prepare well for the next one.”
It seems as though Arsene Wenger is trying to take part of the blame for Ozil’s upturn in fortunes following the switch in formation, but it could also be fair to place some of the blame on the manager for his struggles this term.
The new system has no doubt worked wonders for our side, much in the way that it has for both Tottenham and Chelsea this term, and you could ask what took Wenger so long to look at his underperforming team.
Is Wenger taking some of the plàudits for Ozil’s resurgence? Does he deserve any of that praise? Is Ozil earning a stronger stance in his contract talks with his recent performances?
Pat J