Unai Emery Says Arsenal Need Mesut Ozil's 'Positive Mentality'

Unai Emery believes Arsenal need Mesut Ozil to add some positivity to a team struggling for form, wins and performances lately.

The Gunners blew a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday. Ozil wasn't even in the squad, the sixth time in a row the club's highest earner has been overlooked by Emery.

However, the Spaniard said he's talked with Ozil and is aware of what the elegant No. 10 can bring to the group, per Metro: "We need his quality, his skill. We need his consistency. We need his positive mentality. Then we need him to help us on the pitch. I want now like in the pre-season, like a month ago, for him to help us on the pitch."

Emery's assertion he wants help from Ozil seems to go against the grain of his recent decisions. The 47-year-old had said the club backed his decision to consistently omit the German from the squad, per Sam Dean of the Daily Telegraph.

Perhaps the realisation the 31-year-old can bring qualities to Arsenal that have been missing comes from the drab fare the Gunners have produced without him. The draw with Palace followed an unconvincing win over Vitoria Guimaraes in the UEFA Europa League and a 1-0 defeat away to Sheffield United in the league.

Long gone is the flair and fluency that were Arsenal trademarks during the tenure of Emery's predecessor, Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman signed Ozil for a then-club record fee in 2013 because he valued technique and creativity, arguably at the expense of more robust attributes.

Even so, Wenger's fidelity to style made Arsenal an entertaining watch and more effective than the workmanlike outfit Emery is overseeing:

Arsenal fans have not been shy about calling for Ozil's return:

This kind of challenge to Emery is further evidence of the pressure mounting on the former Sevilla boss. Dropping two points against the Eagles led to Emery meeting with director Josh Kroenke, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein (h/t Rich Jones of the Daily Mirror).

Emery's position appears safe for the moment, but he has reacted to recent setbacks by bringing Ozil back into the fold for Wednesday's trip to Anfield to take on Liverpool in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup:

Ozil's potential inclusion against the Reds could help solve another mounting problem. Emery confirmed Ozil could take the captain's armband from Granit Xhaka, who engaged in an angry exchange with Gooners after being substituted against Palace.

Reversing his stance on Ozil may be too little, too late for many supporters who already believe Emery is the wrong man for the job after being appointed in May 2018. There is a danger breaking the "in case of emergency" glass around Ozil will look like a sign of desperation.

Yet no matter how it looks, Emery needs to find a way to kick-start a season already looking close to sliding off the rails. Putting the best creator of chances in the squad back in a team loaded in attacking areas is the obvious way to give Arsenal a boost.