• Premier League

I always come out on top, says Ozil

Mesut Ozil may be bemused by the rush to criticise his form this season and refusing to accept he has anything to prove but the Arsenal midfielder says he "always comes out on top".

The Germany playmaker's perfrmances have sparked a series of critical attacks but he went some way to quietening them when scored in in his side's 3-0 win against Aston Villa on Saturday.

"I don't play to prove others wrong, I play for Arsenal," Ozil told German news agency DPA. "The English league is something special, a slow race, and there are three other competitions as well. There will always be ups and downs.

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"I do have the feeling that I am seen more critically. That was already the case in the Bundesliga, and also at Real Madrid. But I have to live with that. It's not the first time.

"The season has just started, we have new players on key positions and the teamwork, of which I am a major part, does not function from one day to another."

"Ten weeks ago, I was voted into the Premier League XI for last season [on the league's website], I then won the World Cup, and this was followed by the summer break. And only a few games into the season everything is questioned once again?

"I know what I am capable of and have always come out on top."

Ozil returned to his preferred central midfield role at Aston Villa on Saturday and produced a man of the match display that won praise from Wenger and included the opening goal and an assist for Danny Welbeck's first Arsenal goal.

Despite his defiant reaction to the criticism he has received, Ozil said the backing of the club's supporters has been important to him.

"When you know that your own fans are behind you, that gives you self-belief and encouragement," Ozil told Arsenal's official website.

"I'm generally very satisfied. When you assess after the game and see that you have scored and made a goal, you're relieved and very pleased.

"I'd like to praise the whole team again, who really supported me, and especially the fans who were very loud. I want to thank the fans, who were really behind me and support the whole team so well."

Ozil went on to hint the team set-up deployed by manager Arsene Wenger at Villa Park suited Arsenal, as he was relieved of his duties on the left side of midfield and deployed in the No.10 role he revels in.

"We played a bit differently, in our more usual system," Ozil said. "We were a bit better, a bit more organised and in the end that led to our success.

"When you look at the game, we dominated it and put them under pressure from the start. We scored important goals in the first half and that made it a bit easier for us. So congratulations to the team for delivering a perfect performance.

"We knew exactly what strengths we would have. We analysed Aston Villa before the game and knew how they would play. Especially in the first half, we created some very clear opportunities. We didn't waste our chances - we took them and that made the game easier for us."

Mesut Ozil produced a much improved display against Aston Villa on Saturday © Getty Images

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