Arsene Wenger has defended Mesut Ozil from recent criticism over his performances, insisting he is still a 'huge player' for Arsenal.
The German copped some flak after back-to-back defeats in the Premier League to Everton and Manchester City left the Gunners off the pace in the title race, before a 1-0 win against West Brom on Boxing Day.
Despite their patch of bad form, Wenger insists Ozil's performances, and particularly his work rate, have been up to scratch, and has tipped the modfielder to start finding the net with more regularity.
“He is a huge player. I have always defended him," Wenger said.
“He has improved his commitment and works harder than people think he does.
"I still think there is a gap between his potential finishing and the way he does. In training he finishes better than the games and I’m convinced his percentage of finishing will go up in the coming months.
"He works hard but he had one or two games where he was frustrated.
“The one that comes to my mind is the Manchester City game where he was criticised but when you look at his whole contribution he has done fantastic.”