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IMesut Ozil can not deal with the "physicality and intensity" of a trip to Bournemouth, so how will he face a Tottenham Hotspur team that has wiped out Chelsea's unbeaten record? This was perhaps the most pressing issue of an encouraging weekend for Arsenal and Unai Emery, who abandoned their German star, changed the form of their team and were delighted to return to winning ways.
Sunday's 2-1 victory over Bournemouth was again far from perfect. But again, it seemed a step further for an Arsenal team that has not lost since mid-August. After three consecutive draws in the Premier League, there was a more impressive performance, a more dynamic performance, against one of the most impressive sides of the division.
And not for the first time this season, it was a positive result achieved without Ozil on the team. Instead, the German sat quietly on the bench, without even emerging to stay on the helpline. When asked directly about Ozil's absence, Emery later said that he had chosen his side in anticipation of a "very demanding game with physicality and intensity."
This choice of words was damning in two ways. Firstly, because of the indication that Emery had not considered Ozil capable of dealing with the energy of Bournemouth. And secondly because he suggested that Emery believed that Ozil would not add to Arsenal's "physicality and intensity", which are two of the non-negotiable pillars of the new head coach's philosophy.
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