Wenger Warns Rivals Talented Arsenal Playmaker Can Only Improve

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has warned the club's rivals that record signing Mesut Ozil can only get better after the German international's impressive start to life at the Emirates Stadium.

Ozil has scored three goals and made five assists in 14 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners this season amid the club's climb to the summit of the Premier League table and three wins out of four in the Champions League group phase.

The former Real Madrid playmaker has however been overshadowed by the performances of Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud and Wenger says Arsenal's deadline day signing has room for improvement.

"First of all he is a hugely talented player," Wenger said. "He is just arrived here three months ago and overall did not have the best of preparations for the league. He is a young player, he is 25 years old so of course there is a lot of room for improvement for him.

"We have plenty of players who can take the ball and play you know because he plays in the central part of the pitch the ball goes through him. But we don't put any special responsibility on him.

"Maybe he feels a bit more pressure to do that. We just want the game to be played like we see it and do not put any special responsibility on him. Everybody in our team can deliver great balls."

Victory over Marseille would all-but assured Arsenal passage into the knock-out phase of the Champions League, with only a Borussia Dortmund win over Napoli denying them qualification prior to final round of fixtures.

Ozil's continental experience has been vital in Arsenal claiming three wins from four games, the latest coming against Champions League runners up Dortmund.

Ramsey hopes Ozil can produce more of the same.

"He's been great," said Ramsey. "Obviously, having a player of his calibre coming into the team and the way he's settled in has been quite remarkable really.

"He's chipped in with a few assists and a few goals already this season. He's settled into the team pretty well so we're delighted to have him here and I think you can see that by the way we've been on the pitch."