Arsenal boss Unai Emery says Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil’s versatility has been key to their recent good form. Emery has often switched formation and tactics mid-game in recent weeks, with positive results. The Gunners have won five and lost just one of their last seven games in all competitions to progress through to the Europa League quarter-finals and put themselves in contention for a top-four finish.
They take on Newcastle on Monday looking for a 10th successive home Premier League victory that would lift them above Manchester United and Tottenham into third. When asked what was behind their recent good run, Emery was keen to highlight Ramsey and Ozil’s ability to play in a number of positions, allowing him to tweak his tactics effectively.
“I think we are taking a good performance using a different system and different players,” said the Spaniard. “For example, we started the last two matches playing 3-4-1-2. “But we finished it playing 3-4-3, with players helping us in the 90th minute with a different system and different positions. I think we need to continue doing that.
“Maybe we can start with one system, maybe during the match we can change and the best positive is for all the players to be ready to help us, with a good mentality for work like we need each time.
“At first I used information from last year or the last two years. Mesut can play like a No 10 player, or starting on the right or left, in a different system, and he has a good mentality. “And also Aaron Ramsey can play in a system with two or three midfielders, getting more in the opposition box.
“I used this information with this player and I think this player’s mind is very open to help us, to play in different positions and give us a big performance. He has a very good attitude to do that.”
Ozil hasn’t always been in favour under Emery this season, finding himself in and out of the side. The Gunners boss insists he has never had an issue with Ozil’s attitude, even when he hasn’t been in favour.
“There’s no change,” added Emery. “His quality, his performance, his consistency in each training [session] and each match is good for us. “He is training, he is playing and he is being consistent, sometimes starting in the first XI, sometimes on the bench.”
