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Arsenal go into Thursday's Europa League Round of 32 clash with BATE Borisov a goal down. Stanislaw Drahun's goal before half-time was enough to secure a 1-0 win for the Belarussian outfit.
It was a lacklustre display from the away side, creating little opportunities and looking short of ideas. They had gone into the tie as heavy favourites for the clash, having won 4-2 and 6-0 against BATE last season in the group stage, but they couldn't translate their superiority on the pitch.
The Gunners are in need of a big performance at the Emirates if they want to keep their Europa League dreams alive. To make matters worse they will be without talisman Alexandre Lacazette after the Frenchman picked up a late red card in the closing stages of the first leg.
It seems this has given Unai Emery the perfect opportunity to switch back to playing a one striker system against Belarus' league leaders. If the Spaniard opts to do so, it would be the perfect opportunity to reintegrate star player Mesut Özil.
Özil has been in and out of the side in recent months, only starting three out of Arenal's last 12 games. He has missed over half of their games this season through injury, sickness or 'tactical reasons', but will be hoping he can play a part in a comeback to progress to the Round of 16.
Question marks continue to loom over a potential rift between the German and his manager, but it would be ludicrous to leave out the silky playmaker from a must-win game, especially given Arsenal's recent dip in results.
The attacking midfielder has come up with the goods when Arsenal have needed him to before, and there's no reason why he can't do that again. Here is a look back at five instances when Ozil rose to the occasion in the red shirt of Arsenal.
1. Arsenal 2-0 Napoli, 1st October 2013
Just four weeks after joining the North London club, Özil played his first European game at the Emirates in a crunch clash with Italian giants Napoli. Expectations were at an all-time high as the hype for Arsenal's then record signing was at a fever pitch.
He had just come off the back of a number of memorable performances. The Gunners' faithful had already become accustomed to his delicate ball control and notable eye for a pass.
The German international delivered the goods in a memorable 2-0 win for the home side. Özil took the game by the scruff of the neck, scoring the opener and setting up the second within the first 15 minutes.
His goal was a typical Özil finish, one that possessed both finesse and exquisite technique. He volleyed the ball, cushioning it past Pepe Reina in the Napoli goal.
2. Arsenal 4-1 Liverpool, 4th April 2015
Arsenal had been thoroughly beaten by Liverpool in February 2014, a result that was the beginning of the downfall of their season as their title bid quickly faltered. The 5-1 battering seemed to have had a lasting psychological impact.
However, they then inflicted revenge on the Reds 14 months after their horror show at Anfield. Their lacklustre display from the previous season was completely forgotten as they redeemed themselves in this 4-1 win.
Özil curled a delightful 25-yard free-kick past a helpless Simon Mignolet to make it 2-0 to the good. The £42 million-man ran the show that day, playing a number of eye-catching through balls to Alexis Sanchez.
Ozil's striking performance helped him obtain the man of the match award after the game. His goal also earned him Arsenal's goal of the month award for April 2015.
3. Arsenal 2-0 Bayern Munich, 2015-16 Champions League
Arsenal drew Bayern Munich in the Champions League group stage after having already been put to the sword twice, in 2013 and 2014, by the Bavarian outfit. Both results had come in the Round of 16, with the red side of North London going out 3-3 (on away goals) and 3-1 respectively.
However, this time around they came out victorious against the five-time European Cup winners. And Özil again was in the thick of the action.
The Gunners' number 10 clinched the win in the dying embers of the game. His 94th minute side-footed finish, from Hector Bellerin's cross, was enough to finish off Bayern on this occasion.
The win was a crucial one, propelling Arsenal to qualification to the knockout stage after they had endured a shaky start to their European campaign.
4. Arsenal 3-0 Chelsea, 2016-17
Another notable big game performance from the German international came in the 3-0 dismantling of London rivals Chelsea.
Chelsea had been a kind of kryptonite for the red side of North London ever since they had moved to the Emirates from Highbury, winning just twice against the Blues in their previous 13 home ties.
However, this match ended their rut. Özil coolly swept home Arsenal's third of the match, volleying an Alexis Sanchez cross into the ground and past Thibaut Courtois. The former Real Madrid man had started the move, picking up the ball on the edge of Arsenal's box before ghosting past N'Golo Kante.
It was a magnificent counter-attacking performance from the creative maestro, breezing past the aforementioned Kante on a number of occasions.
5. AC Milan 0-2 Arsenal, 2017-18 Europa League
In last season's Europa League Arsenal drew the impressive AC Milan, who had started to pick up some good results under new head coach Gennaro Gattuso.
Many expected Arsenal to struggle, but they showed their quality by picking up a 2-0 win at the San Siro in which Özil starred magnificently.
He beautifully set up Aaron Ramsey for the away side's second goal with a piercing pass that any playmaker would be proud of, before Ramsey rounded the onrushing Gianluigi Donnarumma.
That assist proved to be Özil's 100th goal contribution in 189 appearances for the North London side, an impressive feat.
Arsenal fans will hope to see their main man in the starting XI for Thursday evening's crunch tie. They need to overcome the one-goal deficit within 90 minutes, and there's no one better than Ozil to help them do that.
