Arsenal: Unai Emery has learned his Paris Saint-Germain lesson

Unai Emery has reformed Mesut Ozil, revitalised Aaron Ramsey and restored Hector Bellerin. The Arsenal head coach learned his Paris Saint-Germain lesson.

In the end, Unai Emery’s time in Paris fell apart because of a mental blockade in the Champions League and the unrivalled power of the players. As an indignant coach, he wanted to lead the team in his way. Those that disagreed, because of the influence they held and wages they collected, were allowed to stand up to him.

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Emery never really had a chance. But neither did he handle the personalities and panache of the squad. Neymar needs nurturing, Hatem ben Arfa, although difficult, is a rare talent that requires careful management, not overly harsh criticism. Emery struggled to tow the line.

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When he arrived at Arsenal in the summer, this was perhaps the biggest doubt hanging over his managerial quality. How would he handle the star characters in the dressing room, especially Mesut Ozil, who is renowned for his tantrums and absent commitment?

Early in the season, it was fair to say that the jury was very much out. Ozil was jettisoned from the squad, with an iffy immune system suspiciously surfacing as a problem once more, Alexandre Lacazette could not find his way into the team, and there were suggestions that the Aaron Ramsey contract situation was not creating the most harmonious dressing room.

Fast forward six months, however, and the picture is very different indeed. Not only are Arsenal now playing as Emery always intended, with neat combinations and cohesiveness, but they look like a connected, encouraging community, a group of players that are friends as much as they are teammates.

Monday’s 2-0 win over Newcastle United might have been the smoothest performance of the year. No surprise that Ozil was at the heart of it. And after the match, in one of the more shocking developments of the season, Ozil even conducted a post-match interview with Sky Sports, in which he reiterated his commitment to the team and the collective positive performance of the group:

"“Of course my work is to give everything on the pitch like today. I just want to help my team-mates to win the game. I thought we played very well as a team – not just me.”"

Make no mistake, the Ozil reformation project is Emery’s greatest achievement this season. The Ozil debacle was very quickly heading south. Unwanted and overpaid, Arsenal were facing an extremely difficult decision in the summer, one that they almost tried to rush into the present in the January transfer window. Suddenly, four-straight starts later, Ozil seems like the star of the show once again.

The rediscovery of Ozil is not the only story of restoration. Hector Bellerin, prior to his ACL injury, reverted back to his wonderful youthful exuberance, Alex Iwobi has started to strut with confidence again, and Lacazette, after sitting on the bench for the first three matches of the year, is now the favourite to win the Player of the Season.

Emery is handling his star players in a way that he either was not able to or was not allowed to do in Paris. And Arsenal are benefitting as a result. He has learned his lesson.