Arsenal: Unai Emery listening to Mesut Ozil

Unai Emery started Mesut Ozil in the number 10 position for the first time in Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Leicester City on Monday night. He is listening to his chief creator.

Mesut Ozil is a highly difficult player to understand. Such talent and yet vast anonymity; great flair and ability, tainted and betrayed by absent production and slumping body language. He is a brilliant and yet infuriating player. And it has led to his misuse and exploitation.

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Arsene Wenger started by playing Ozil as a left midfielder in 4-1-4-1. He then moved to the right. He then played in central midfield. And finally, almost a year after he first arrived, Ozil was entrusted with the number 10 position, a role that he himself ferociously covets.

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Now, Unai Emery has undertaken the same learning process as Wenger. Predominantly this season, Emery’s first in charge at Arsenal, Ozil has played on the right side of a front three. It is a position that he has the ability to play, but his underlying influence on matches has been substantially reduced. All of his attacking statistics have decreased from when he played centrally. And Ozil himself believes that the number 10 is his best position:

"“For me, it [right midfield] is not my best position, I think my best position is as a No 10 but at the end of the day I have to accept and respect what the coach decides. So I have to give everything I can on the right side, it’s new for me but it’s fun for me as well, especially with the goals and I will continue to give my best on that side.”"

Emery clearly bowed to Ozil’s wishes this week, starting him centrally in Monday night’s 3-1 win over Leicester City. It is the first time that Ozil has started in that position. He was splendid, scoring the first goal, playing the key pass for the second goal, slipping Hector Bellerin in behind the Leicester defence, and then masterfully engineering the third goal, teeing up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for a tap-in at the back post.

Ozil is averaging two chances created per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season. He created double that amount in his only match as a number 10. He averages 47.5 passes per 90 minutes. He completed 69 on Monday. He has three league goals and one assist on the season. He scored and assisted against Leicester.

It is unquestionable that Ozil is far more effective when he plays as a number 10. Whether his presence there upsets the overall balance of the team to a detrimental level is something that Emery will have to wrestle with as the season unfolds. Certainly, there is an argument to be made that it does.

But, for now, it seems as though Emery is listening to Ozil. He is playing his chief creator where he is most effective. And Arsenal are benefiting. Perhaps Emery, unlike many before him, is beginning to understand Ozil.