Mesut Ozil needs to be challenged every week to reach similar levels he got to against Tottenham, while Mauricio Pochettino can't moan too much about the officiating

  • Arsenal's victory over Tottenham in the North London Derby was crucial 
  • It was exactly what Arsene Wenger's side needed to get the fans back onboard 
  • Mesut Ozil was one of Wenger's players to step up when it really mattered most 
  • There were some iffy refereeing decisions but there wasn't much to moan about 

Arsenal's victory over North London rivals Tottenham on Saturday has provided plenty of talking points.

Mesut Ozil's terrific performance was one point made several times, while Mike Dean's refereeing also came under scrutiny.

Here, Sportsmail's experts give their Big Verdict on the weekend's big game.

Mesut Ozil produced an outstanding performance in the victory over Tottenham

Mesut Ozil produced an outstanding performance in the victory over Tottenham

Graham Poll 


Mauricio Pochettino was understandably aggrieved at some of the officiating at the north London derby, but he wasn't right on all the incidents.

Mike Dean was fooled by the way Alexis Sanchez went down under pressure from Davinson Sanchez and awarded Arsenal a free-kick. But replays showed the challenge was a fair one by Tottenham's Colombian centre half.

If nothing came from the free-kick the incident wouldn't be noted but as Arsenal scored from it Dean's error was highlighted. What really made it worse for Spurs was that Shkodran Mustafi was offside as the kick was taken and he headed the ball into the net. No wonder Pochettino felt aggrieved - he was wrong to highlight Arsenal's second goal, which was perfectly legal as Alexandre Lacazette was onside in the build-up and Spurs were well beaten.

Mauricio Pochettino felt aggrieved with officials decision as his side were defeated by Arsenal

Mauricio Pochettino felt aggrieved with officials decision as his side were defeated by Arsenal

Alexandre Lacazette (right) appeared offside in the build-up to Alexis Sanchez's goal

Alexandre Lacazette (right) appeared offside in the build-up to Alexis Sanchez's goal

 

Martin Keown 

Mesut Ozil needs to be challenged every week to put in as special a performance as he did in the north London derby.

When you play Tottenham, you do not need any motivation. If anything, you have to keep your emotions in check. You have to play with your head, not your heart.

A cynic would say that Ozil's performance merely guaranteed him his move in January. Will he work as hard on Sunday when Arsenal travel to Burnley?

If both Ozil and Alexis Sanchez perform as they did against Spurs for the rest of the season, they will be able to leave Arsenal with everyone's blessing. They will have given their all until the last.

Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil fired Arsenal to victory as they beat bitter rivals Spurs 2-0 

Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil fired Arsenal to victory as they beat bitter rivals Spurs 2-0 

Arsenal are a different animal at home but Arsene Wenger needs to equip his team to win on the road. They have lost four of their six Premier League away games, winning just once at Everton in Ronald Koeman's last match in charge.

To get into the top four, Wenger needs to map out the upcoming fixtures and keep pushing Ozil to shine in every game.

This weekend, we have learned nothing new about Ozil. We know he is immensely talented. But if he does not perform and Arsenal fail to get three points at Turf Moor, this victory will have been for nothing.

 

Chris Sutton 

I was delighted to see Mesut Ozil have such a good game - not least because it silenced his critics. He has unfairly borne the brunt of the criticism for Arsenal's poor performances this season. I accept that he can be frustrating to watch at times - but is that not the case for the entire Arsenal team?

Ozil is a playmaker, a technician and, since making his Arsenal debut, has provided at least four more assists in total than any other player in the Premier League. He showed his class, setting up Shkodran Mustafi with a superb free-kick and creating the most chances of any player on the pitch.

Ozil has been linked with Manchester United but this was not the performance of a player with a move on his mind. He could easily have downed tools. Instead, he put in a man-of-the-match display in such a crucial game. He deserves credit for stepping up.        

The German playmaker has been linked with a move away from the Emirates 

The German playmaker has been linked with a move away from the Emirates 

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