Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped praise onto Mesut Ozil for the strong first impression he’s made on him since he took the Gunners job.
The Spaniard only recently made the move from Pep Guardiola’s coaching team at Manchester City to become the permanent successor to Unai Emery at the Emirates Stadium.
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Ozil hasn’t always been the most reliable performer for Arsenal, with caretaker boss Freddie Ljungberg recently critical of the player after he stormed off against Manchester City in a 3-0 home defeat.
Arteta, however, seems to have suggested the German playmaker has impressed him hugely so far, which is perhaps not what everyone would have expected.
See below for the manager’s quotes from Simon Collings as he praises Ozil’s attitude as “incredible” based on what he’s seen so far…
#afc Arteta on Ozil: "To be fair his attitude in training since the day that I walked in the building has been incredible."
— Simon Collings (@sr_collings) December 26, 2019
Ozil started against Bournemouth in today’s 1-1 draw, despite having been left out of the squad against Everton altogether.
It remains to be seen, however, if his performance today will keep him in Arteta’s plans for the long term.
The 31-year-old was not exactly at his best against the Cherries, and it’s been some time now since he really dominated a game like he did during his peak years.