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Arsenal 3 Leicester 1 watch highlights: Aubameyang and Ozil lead comeback at the Emirates
Foxes took the lead through a Hector Bellerin own-goal before Ozil and a brace from Aubameyang saw the Gunners emerge victorious
THEY have the perfect 10.
Mesut Ozil, wearing the captain’s armband on one of those dreamy Arsenal nights, scored one and made the next two with an spellbinding display.
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Their No10 inspired Arsenal to ten-in-a-row, responding with a mesmerising performance after Hector Bellerin gifted Leicester a 31st minute lead. What came next, with Ozil upping the tempo at will, was heavenly.
When the mood takes him he is untouchable, one of the best players in world football when he fancies it. This, unquestionably, was one of them.
When he was substituted after 79 minutes, to be replace by Aaron Ramsey, an entire stadium rose off their seats to applaud one of the best individual performances in recent memory.
His team-mates appreciated him as the captain walked off, with hugs and high fives after this inspirational, mesmerising performance.
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It is not often you get to witness something like this. He worked the angles on the stroke of half time, starting the move with a ball out to Bellerin out on the right before finishing it seconds later with a casual, cushioned finish that crept inside the far post.
With half an hour left to play, when Unai Emery had sent for his substitutes to win the game, he dismantled Claude Puel’s side.
Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang had only just arrived on the pitch when Ozil’s delicious pass from midfield sent Bellerin in behind Ben Chilwell.
Bellerin crossed and Aubameyang, who had just come on as a sub for Stephan Lichtsteiner, applied the finishing touch.
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Three minutes later, they pulled further clear. Ozil engineered it, with Arsenal bamboozling Leicester’s heavy-legged defence with their improvisation and ingenuity.
Ozil’s final touch, flicking out a boot to send his pass spinning into the path of Aubameyang will be replayed a few thousand times and then some over the coming days.
Aubameyang, grateful for another gift, beat Schmeichel from close range. When that went in, Leicester lost their enthusiasm.
They had done so well to go ahead, overcoming the scandalous oversight by referee Chris Kavanagh when Rob Holding tipped away a free-kick with his hands after 18 minutes.
Undeterred, Leicester went ahead anyway. Wilfred Ndidi’s through ball was delicious, carving a big space in the Arsenal defence for Chilwell to storm into the box from the wing.
Leicester’s left-back, celebrating his big new contract, got his first big bonus when Bellerin deflected his effort beyond Leno.
Arsenal’s response was predictable, peppering Kasper Schmeichel’s goal with efforts from all over the park.
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Granit Xhaka, booked just before the break for crunching Maddison’s ankles, had a long-range effort tipped over the bar by Schmeichel.
Old Safe Hands looked like he was back to his commanding best, beating away everything that came into the box before Ozil scored with a peach of a finish.
It gave Arsenal momentum in the second half, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan missing the target in the minutes before he was substituted.
After Ndidi’s header crashed off the bar, Emery sent for the big guns to come off the bench with half an hour left to play. He did not have to wait long.
Ozil was irresistible, dishing out a lesson to Leicester with his first time touches around the corner and his ability to spring Arsenal’s attacks at will.
It will be remembered as his night, with the captain rising to the challenge of bringing his club back into the game.
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They are flying, stringing together some big wins as they target a place back in the top four under their progressive new head coach.
It was only a few months ago that he inherited a club in sharp decline under Arsene Wenger.
He fell out with Ozil when was substituted at Chelsea, hooking his moody forward when it all went wonky at Stamford Bridge at the start of the season.
In the very next game, he was left out with one of those mysterious viruses that players seem to pick up when they have the hump with the manager. There was a lot of love for him last night.
Emery made a bee-line for him when he sent on Ramsey, shaking the skipper’s hand when he made his way off the pitch with ten minutes left to play.
They are charging along, quietly going about their business as rely on their man of the match to see them home. When Ozil plays like this, he is a 10 out of 10.
Superb Arsenal team goal against Leicester assisted by Ozil and finished by Aubameyang
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