Ex-Premier League Star: Unai Emery Deserves Credit For Challenging Mesut Ozil

Liam Rosenior believes Unai Emery has instilled a different mentality at Arsenal, and Mesut Ozil is benefiting from it…

Former Fulham defender Liam Rosenior has heaped praise on Unai Emery for ending a culture of malaise at Arsenal football and demanding a certain level of intensity, especially from the likes of Mesut Ozil.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ The Debate show, Rosenior feels as though the players became too comfortable under Arsene Wenger during the past few years of his reign, and it showed on the pitch.

However, since his arrival in the summer, Emery has already dropped Ozil and publicly demanded that he’s not exempt from the demands of playing with intensity both with and without the ball.

And, after Ozil’s show-stopping display at the Emirates against Leicester, many are wondering if Emery has finally found the key to unlock the enigma that is the German wizard.

“I think it’s the first time in Mesut Ozil’s Arsenal’s career that he’s been challenged,” Rosenior argued.

“He’s been challenged to perform at the level that Unai Emery expects and in the last few years of Arsene Wenger’s reign – while the quality of the manager is not in doubt – there seemed to be a comfort zone at Arsenal.

“There seemed to be players not performing to an intensity or a level and after their first two games, I said I saw a clear difference in terms of their intensity and defensive organisation (under Unai Emery).”

Emery made it clear after Ozil’s display against Leicester that he expects that level of performance from the playmaker on a more consistent basis.

He has it in him to do it to anyone as and when he pleases. We need him to have fewer off-days.