Mesut Ozil: Mikel Arteta Reinstalling 'Old Arsenal Virtues' Since Appointment

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has said the club's new manager Mikel Arteta is trying to reinstall the classic "virtues" of the club.

Arteta stepped in as boss in December and has won two of his first four games in charge of the club, beating Manchester United and Leeds United in their previous encounters.

Under former head coach Unai Emery, Ozil fell out of favour and struggled to get minutes, although since Arteta came in, the playmaker has started four games in succession.

Speaking about the new manager, Ozil said he's pleased to see that Arteta's coaching falls in line with the classic Gunners mantras, per James Olley of the Evening Standard:

"It is basically getting us back to the old Arsenal virtues. Having the possession, being in control of the game, having the ball all the time.

"These are the things that he is working on with us, and you can see it—everyone is smiling, laughing, enjoying their time at the moment and this has made us be successful now.

"We are really enjoying everything at the moment. You can see we have a structure on the pitch now. Everyone knows what their job is on the pitch and we are very happy to have won these two games [against United and Leeds]."

Although Ozil appears to have earned the full trust of Arteta early in his tenure, his performances remain inconsistent.

Per BBC 5 Live Sport, in the 1-0 win over Leeds, the 31-year-old struggled to make an impact on the contest early on:

However, when he was taken off in the second period, the Emirates Stadium crowd showed their appreciation for the Arsenal No. 10:

Ever since Ozil arrived in north London in 2013, he's been a conundrum for all coaches, including Arsene Wenger and Emery.

Although the midfielder boasts incredible natural talent, technical skill and a vast passing range, often he's been difficult to fit into a cohesive unit. Ozil's defensive work has been questioned, while he's also frequently struggled against high-profile opponents.

Per The Tactical Times, it's encouraging for Arteta that he's been able to get more from Ozil off the ball:

The early signs have been positive for Ozil under the new manager, as it appears the coach is willing to use the German in his preferred role. The challenge for the midfielder will be to reward that faith with some strong displays.

Arsenal are in action in the Premier League again on Saturday when they visit Crystal Palace for what could be a potentially difficult encounter. Arteta will be hoping Ozil's quality can be decisive in the match at Selhurst Park.