Tomas Rosicky has had his up and downs during his nine years at Arsenal but he showed why he's called ‘Little Mozart’ after his masterclass against Brighton 

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Tomas Rosicky is 34 years old. He has been at Arsenal for nine years, but has averaged just 19 Premier League games a season under Arsene Wenger.

Yet, when the ‘Little Mozart’ is at his best, Wenger’s fluid style of play is rarely encapsulated more. His individual masterclass at Brighton in the FA Cup on Sunday typified the type of performance Arsenal fans have grown to love, full of energy, pressing on and off the ball and flair.

Phil Neville may want to ‘two-foot him’, but really, we must saviour the moments when the Czech star lights up a football pitch with his touch.

Tomas Rosicky gives a 'no look' pass during the build-up to his spectacular goal against Brighton

The Czech midfielder used the same move a number of times during Arsenal's 3-2 win against Brighton

‘If you love football, you love Tomas Rosicky,’ Wenger gleamed after the 3-2 victory. Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott returned for the Gunners, but were dictated by the midfield maestro on the South Coast.

Rosicky is an odd footballing creature, someone who can go missing when he’s not found his rhythm, someone who is more likely to put in the performance of the season than nail down a position in the starting XI.

In fact, he looked set for a January departure before injuries played their part in north London.

Rosicky celebrates his goal while Aaron Ramsey (centre) rushes over to congratulate him

Former Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale dived too late to keep out Rosicky's perfectly executed strike

‘The lack of match practice has been absolutely terrible and, naturally, it makes me very sorry that I haven’t been given a chance yet,’ Rosicky said back in September.

A limp outing in his first start of the campaign against Southampton in the Capital One Cup did nothing for him, and even had some sections of the Emirates Stadium crowd booing. This was not the Rosicky they knew and loved.

But Rosicky is always a man Wenger rates so highly, and is perhaps his most trusted member of the first team squad. Year in, year out, he comes into form when Arsenal need him most, from December to May. The French boss has always been firm with players aged 30 or older when it comes to new deals in the past, but not with Rosicky, who has signed on in March in two of the last three seasons. He will get a testimonial next year if he opts for a contract extension at the club.

Rosicky (left), despite his inconsistent form, is rated very highly by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger 

At Manchester City, when Santi Cazorla ran the show, faith was placed in Rosicky to come on for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and steer the ship home. His knowledge of where to run with the ball when defending a lead, and when to bring out the flicks and tricks, is all so important.

He mixes the experience of a 34-year-old with the exuberance of a young teen trying to make a point. You might say it’s the perfect combination.

Rosicky has had to change his game over the years. A career-threatening injury back in 2008 kept him out of action for almost two years. He insists his ‘football age’ is 32 because of it, while some call him Peter Pan. Before that hamstring problem, the playmaker was one of the few in the Arsenal squad who seemed keen to pull the trigger, with a ferocious shot from a short back-lift.

Rosicky (left) was a calming influence from the bench as he helped Arsenal close out a 2-0 against City 

Now, his burst of pace from midfield is more evident, his selflessness and weight of pass usually to perfection. At Brighton, we got to see all sides to his game. The ball through to Ozil for the Gunner’s second goal of the game was effortless, the no-look pass and subsequent volley past goalkeeper David Stockdale sublime.

Rosicky earned his ‘Little Mozart’ name back in Germany with Borussia Dortmund, but the nickname has never been more suitable than for the man we see today.

The game Wenger tries to play is all about finding angles and avenues in and around the opposition midfield. Different trajectories and speed of pass is ‘the Arsenal way’. In Rosicky, he has a player that will always look for the forward pass, finding miniscule gaps to thread balls through, eager for one-twos and runs beyond the defence should they be needed.

Rosicky earned his ‘Little Mozart’ nickname during his younger days with Borussia Dortmund

The midfielder has come through a difficult era with Arsenal, often a barren one, to become the player he is today, an intelligent technician to compliment the likes of Cazorla.

The duo, best friends off the pitch, have both been praised in recent weeks, and Ozil, Walcott and Aaron Ramsey will struggle to oust them from the side on current form.

However, Rosicky for one will know the time will come this season when he plays second fiddle once again. Not usually one for the limelight, more one for the highlight reel, there aren’t many left like the Czech Republic captain.

We should appreciate this conductor while we still can.

The likes of Mesut Ozi (left) and Theo Walcott will struggle to oust the in-form Rosicky