Sead Kolasinac Hails Mesut Ozil's Leadership at Arsenal After Burnley Display

Arsenal's Sead Kolasinac has praised Mesut Ozil's leadership at the Emirates Stadium following his performance in their 3-1 win over Burnley on Saturday.

Having been entirely left out of the Gunners' 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup last Wednesday, Ozil was named captain by manager Unai Emery for the Premier League game with the Clarets, and Kolasinac hailed his team-mate.

Per the Mirror's Matthew Dunn, the left-back said:

"Mesut's not the sort of player who will scream at you in public just to show the people on the outside that he tries to push us on. He'll speak in the dressing room, he'll go to every player individually.

"With his quality, he brings a lot to this team. He's very important for us as a captain and as a player.

"When you're a big star, like Mesut is, of course, there are always negative headlines. But, as a team, we don't pay attention to them and Mesut doesn't either. That's what's most important.

"We're all behind Mesut—all the staff, all the players. If negative things are written, then that's just what happens. In life, not everything is positive—sometimes there are negatives written about you, too, and he's had that. But yesterday with his performance, he's quietened a few critics."

Ozil is thought to be Arsenal's highest earner after he signed a contract reportedly worth £350,000 per week at the start of the year, so his absence against Spurs raised more than a few eyebrows.

It was far from the first time the 30-year-old had been missing for the Gunners this season, though:

Perhaps in response to his exclusion, the former Germany international put in a fine showing against Burnley on Saturday.

It was his remarkable pass to Kolasinac that carved open Burnley's back line in the buildup to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's opener:

"It was unbelievable," Kolasinac said of the ball. "We all know Mesut's qualities, and I only actually made that run because I saw that he had the ball. Not many players would have been able to play that pass. He can, and when I saw him get on the ball, I knew he was going to find me."

Kolasinac assisted Aubameyang for the Gunners' second. After Ashley Barnes restored some hope for the Clarets, Alex Iwobi sealed the win late on after a mazy run from Ozil into the penalty area.

James Benge of the Evening Standard is an admirer of the playmaker, but given his status at the club, he needs to be playing a key role every week:

While Ozil was impressive in his contributions on Saturday, he's an expensive luxury if he's only getting on the pitch and performing at home to opposition of Burnley's calibre.

Unless he can force his way back into Emery's plans for their biggest matches—and make a difference in them—it will be difficult to justify his place in the squad long term, even if he is a valuable figure in the dressing room.