Arsenal manager Unai Emery has revealed the intensity of Bournemouth‘s play influenced his decision to leave Mesut Ozil out of his starting XI.
The Gunners closed the gap to just a point behind Chelsea after edging past a resilient Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon, courtesy of a freak Jefferson Lerma own-goal and a second-half winner from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But there was no sign of playmaker Ozil.
Bournemouth to “physical” for Mesut Ozil? Four things to know
- Bournemouth have developed a reputation for their expansive and intense playing style since earning Premier League promotion in 2015.
- The Cherries have proven tricky for opponents when drawn into one-on-one duels this season, having won the third-highest number of fouls in the division (153).
- Ozil was an unused sub for the 2-1 away win at Bournemouth as Iwobi and Mkhitaryan occupied the attacking-midfield spots in Emery’s 3-4-2-1 formation.
- The ex-German international reached 50 Premier League assists faster than any player in the competition’s history, but he is often accused of lacking work-rate and desire.
Arsenal had drawn their last three matches prior to the Bournemouth win, and that outcome was looking likely at the Vitality Stadium with the sides deadlocked after King drew Bournemouth level until a deft toe-poke from Aubameyang clinched all three points Arsenal in the 67th minute.
Speaking after the match, Emery gave his thoughts on why he decided to leave one of his star players on the bench.
“We thought how we can be better in the match today, which is very demanding with the physicality and the intensity, but every player is important,” Emery is quoted by the Express.
“In the beginning of the season we were speaking every day about being organised and competitive – and it’s the same today.
“Also today we tried with three centre-backs like we’ve done at some stages this season, and it’s another possibility for us to improve and find our best performance.”
In fact, Ozil stayed on the bench for the entirety of the match and was not given instructions to warm up by Emery or his coaching staff, though the Arsenal boss further explained his decision.
He added: “It depends on how the match is coming and how the result is coming during the 90 minutes. I decided for another option.”
Is Mesut Ozil improving or declining under new Arsenal boss Unai Emery?
Ozil is a polarising figure in the Premier League. Many have been critical of his work-rate, but there can be no denying his talent with the ball at his feet, as well as his graceful movement and world-class reading of the game.
Under the tutelage of previous manager Arsene Wenger, Ozil often lacked the requisite consistency to truly take Arsenal to another level, though when playing to his full capacity, the recently retired Germany international was mesmeric.
One of the key questions that faced Emery upon his arrival was whether he could get the best out of Ozil, and what system would he implement to allow the No 10 to truly thrive in the final third.
The early signs have so far been promising, with Ozil given more freedom to dovetail with Aubameyang; the emergence of a more stable and balanced central midfield has also given Ozil more license to focus on his attacking duties. The 30-year-old has so far created more chances (20) than any Arsenal player this season, completed the second-most successful dribbles (10) and scored the third-most goals (three).
Can you name every Arsenal or Spurs player to score in a North London derby?
After travelling to Ukraine to play Vorskla in their Europa League midweek game, Arsenal host Spurs in the north London derby. How many of the 72 players to have ever scored in a North London derby can you name? You’ve got 10 minutes to find out if you take our football quiz below…
The post Unai Emery explains why he benched Mesut Ozil for Bournemouth trip appeared first on Squawka News.
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