Unai Emery Says He Was 'Proud' of Mesut Ozil's Performance in Resounding Victory over Bournemouth

Arsenal manager Unai Emery lauded Mesut Ozil's performance, as the German returned to the Gunners' starting XI with a bang by leading them to a decisive 5-1 victory over Bournemouth on Wednesday.

Ozil got a rare start, his first since January 29th, and repaid the faith with interest by scoring the opener and providing an assist for Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the first half. Bournemouth started showing signs of life as Lys Mousset pulled one back, however Laurent Koscielny converted a set-piece to quash any form of comeback.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang added Arsenal's fourth before Alexandre Lacazette's free-kick in the 78th minute sealed the tie, keeping the Gunners a point above Manchester United in the race for the Champions League spots.

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Speaking post-match, as quoted by the BBC, Emery was full of praise for his side, saying: "We work like we did in the last matches with intensity. After 2-0 their goal can give us a problem but I think we show maturity in this moment by continuing to push. Today with our supporters here, we had a good atmosphere.

"It is important these three matches we play here. In a short time, we keep the performance with different players. We play with intensity. It is good for the team and for this moment. 

When asked about Ozil, Emery added: "He was good, [he was] amazing, Mesut helped us with his quality and work, all the players should be proud tonight and it is the same for Mesut."

Arsenal face Tottenham on Saturday in the north London derby, and will be looking to keep the momentum going.

"It's a good match, a derby and every player wants to play," said Emery. "We are going to rest and prepare for the match on Saturday and we will go there with a good mentality and a good idea to play against them."