CHRIS SUTTON

I WAS delighted to see Mesut Ozil have such a good game — not least because it silenced his critics. He has unfairly borne the brunt of the criticism for Arsenal’s poor performances this season. I accept that he can be frustrating to watch at times — but is that not the case for the entire Arsenal team? Ozil is a playmaker, a technician and, since making his Arsenal debut, has provided at least four more assists in total than any other player in the Premier League. He showed his class, setting up Shkodran Mustafi with a superb free-kick and creating the most chances of any player on the pitch. Ozil has been linked with Manchester United but this was not the performance of a player with a move on his mind. He could easily have downed tools. Instead, he put in a man-of-the-match display in such a crucial game. He deserves credit for stepping up.