Football news - Mesut Ozil pulls the strings as Arsenal dispatch Leicester 3-1

It took them half an hour to remember they were in a game, but Arsenal were monstrous thereafter, taking Leicester apart with three gorgeous goals. They have now won 10 games in a row, and sit in fifth place, four points off the lead; Leicester stay 11th.

Leicester started the game superbly, with James Maddison bossing midfield and Kelechi Iheanacho giving Rob Holding all sorts of trouble. But they spurned three decent chances before, on 30 minutes, Ben Chilwell’s shot was deflected past Bernd Leno by Hector Bellerin.

Going behind encouraged Arsenal to run fast and such, and a minute before half-time they equalised, the hitherto anonymous Mesut Ozil’s applying a gorgeous finish to a move that he started.

Arsenal have been level at the break in every match of their winning run, and they returned to the pitch with the intensity of a team who knew. But they were nonetheless lucky to escape before they went ahead, Wilfred Ndidi thunking a header against the bar - but that was all Leicester could manage. On 63 minutes, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang finished a fine move just two minutes after coming on, and three minutes later, he scored again. But the architect of both goals was Ozil, whose vision and touch were celestial; he deserved the standing ovation that greeted his substitution.

In the time that remained, Arsenal might've increased the margin of victory, but they will be more than happy with their night's work; though things will inevitably slow down, the Emirates is a happy place again.

How long can Aubameyang sit on the bench? In his last two games, he has come on and scored twice, and though the threat of him is enough to give tiring defenders the willies, the reality of him is much better. Unai Emery will surely find a way to fit him in next weekend.

Mesut Ozil (Arsenal): Did absolutely nothing apart from settle the game with ridiculous brilliance.

Arsenal: Leno 6, Bellerin 7, Mustafi 6, Holding 5, Lichtsteiner 6, Torreira 7, Xhaka 6, Mkhitaryan 5, Ozil 8, Iwobi 7, Lacazette 6. Subs: Aubameyang 9, Guendouzi 7, Ramsey 6.

Leicester: Schmeichel 6, Amartey 6, Evans 6, Maguire 6, Chilwell 6, Mendy 5, Ndidi 6, Ricardo Pereira 4, Iheanacho 6, Maddison 7, Vardy 3. Subs: Albrighton 6, Okazaki 6, Ghezzal 6.

2’ - Oh! Ndidi does well in midfield, holding off his man and freeing Iheanacho, who's on Lichtsteiner's shoulder. He blazes away and cuts in, when Vardy is screeching for a square pass, then slams a shot which flicks off Holding and behind. The corner comes to nowt.

18’ - Oh wow! Maddison hits the free-kick long to the far corner of the box, where Maguire nods back. Vardy then nods towards the mixah, so Holding hands it away as Ihenanacho challenges. The ref has a perfect view of it, and somehow fails to award the penalty that it absolutely obviously is.

20’ - Goodness me! Leicester win another free-kick, this time 25 yards out, wide on the right, and again Maddison picks out Maguire; he heads firmly down and across, but not firmly enough nor across enough, and Leno dives to save.

30’ - GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Leicester City (Chilwell) And you've got to say they deserve it! Again Leicester move forward quickly, Ndidi snapping a pass at Chilwell, whose first touch is fantastic, putting it behind Bellerin; he steams by, shoots, and though Bellerin is back at him by then, he can only impart a deflection with wrong-foots Leno. What a week for Chilwell, who made his England debut in Spain!

44’ - GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Leicester City (Ozil) There he is! Ozil eases forward, paints a pass out wide to Bellerin and keeps running, so when the cross is clipped back, he can meet it on the half-volley without breaking stride, caressing a gorgeous, luscious, fit as finish low into the far bottom corner.

59’ - ...and Maddison spanks it onto Ndidi's head! But he can only crack against the bar! That was a great corner and header, but what a let-off for Arsenal nonetheless!

63’ - GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Leicester City (Aubameyang) What a change that is! Guendouzi moves the ball to Ozil, who slides a perfectly-weighted invitation inside Chilwell for Bellerin to run onto; his cross is low, and Aubameyang turns home, of course he does.

66’ -WHAT A GOAL! WHAT A GOAL! Arsenal 3-1 Leicester City (Aubameyang) This is brilliant! A ball into midfield is flicked out wide by Guendouzi for Bellerin, charging down the line. He snaps a pass inside which Ozil steps over and behind him, Lacazette rolls into his oath, Cole and Yorke-style; Ozil pokes across, and there's Aubameyang again to turn into an empty net.