Ozil makes first league start of the season at Watford

Unai Emery has handed Mesut Ozil his first Premier League start of the season as Arsenal make the short journey to Vicarage Road for their clash with Watford.

Illness has kept Ozil out of Emery’s side during Arsenal’s mixed start to the season, with a place among the Gunners’ unused substitutes in a 2-2 draw against Tottenham the closest he has come to making an appearance.

Ozil’s season was also delayed by the alleged attempted carjacking in July that left him, along with team-mate Sead Kolasinac, said to be mentally unready to join the team for the latter part of Arsenal’s pre-season training.

Ozil, who has made at least 20 league starts for Arsenal in the past six seasons, was handed a place behind Emery’s front two of Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang against Watford, with Dani Ceballos returning to the starting line-up in place of Lucas Torreira.

Arsenal won their opening two league games of the season against Newcastle United and Burnley before suffering defeat against Liverpool and then drawing at home against Spurs.

Today’s team news…

@MesutOzil1088 makes first #PL start of the season
@DaniCeballos46 returns to the starting XI
@Aubameyang7 is joined in attack by Pepe

#WATARS

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 15, 2019

Watford, meanwhile, have taken just one point from their opening four matches of the season.