by Lee Hurley

Mesut Ozil knows what Arsenal have to do to win the Premier League – keep their players fit.

The German playmaker was speaking to Sport1 in his home country and reiterated what we’ve been saying around here for some time – injuries were what really cost Arsenal last season.

With many pundits and people allegedly paid to know what their talking about discussing Arsenal’s season while failing to mention one of the worst injury crises the club has faced in recent years (and that’s saying something) you do have to wonder if they were just being deliberately thick or if that really is the standard of punditry these days.

So bad was the problem that full backs were deployed as centrebacks, third-choice keepers were called upon and Francis Coquelin had to be recalled – a hint in itself that all was not right with the personnel at the club.

“It was only in the second half of the season that we showed how well we can play, especially against big teams” Ozil said.

“We can sustain [a title challenge]. If the players stay fit, then we have a lot of potential.

“We also know that the other teams are good but we have the potential to beat any team.”

Arsenal get their season underway with the Community Shield at Wembley, an early meeting with Jose Mourinho’s bus.

Let’s hot the boys have the belief that allows them to shift it.