Mathieu Flamini
Reuters

Arsenal's returning hero Mathieu Flamini believes that Mesut Ozil's arrival at the club can push them towards ending their eight year trophy drought this season.

Flamini was signed on a free by Arsene Wenger before the start of the season and has had a major impact since his arrival at the club. The 29-year-old is conversant with Arsenal's style of play and his departure in 2008 also marked a series of doom and gloom In regards to results at the club. The 2007/08 season was the last time that the Gunners had gone close to winning the title but Eduardo's leg break against Birmingham had changed the mood in the camp which led to Arsenal squandering their five point lead at the top of the table and allowing Manchester United to lift the title.

The midfielder was also part of Arsenal's squad which lost to Barcelona in the finals of the 2006 Champions League but the player believes that those disappointments are behind them and the Gunners are ready to make waves again in Europe. His addition to the squad has coincided with the north London club going on a seven game winning streak and are currently at the top of the table with 12 points.

"Eight years without winning anything is not easy for anyone, for the fans, for the players, for the club or the coach, but the quality is here. Maybe it was missing just a few things. This year it was important that nobody left and then we got new players with a lot of quality and what is most important is the team spirit," Flamini said.

"We knew Mesut was a big player - he proved it at Madrid. For us, it is a great boost because he is a great player and knows how to make the difference. He has great spirit, he is working hard for the team and can make the difference at any moment. We know we are strong defensively and that makes a difference because we know with the quality in the team, we will create opportunities and we will score. Team spirit makes the difference because the Premier League is not a sprint, it is a marathon. This season is going to be long, we are going to need everyone," he added.