3 Arsenal players who need to improve their game

Matteo Guendouzi is a huge surprise success for the Gunners. Fans have not expected to see him start in every Premier League game. Most importantly, we probably did not expect a 19-year-old to be playing so well in the top league in England.

The youngster joined Arsenal in a £7 million deal from Ligue 2 side, Lorient FC. He had absolutely no experience playing against Manchester City or Chelsea, but Emery probably thought that he was ready for the challenge and gave him the chance. As things stand, it looks like the French teen is even better than Granit Xhaka in the midfield. Guendouzi is really a gem that Emery has discovered in summer amidst the mixed results from the first four games.

With Guendouzi a rare exception, many of the players from the first team have yet to justify their place in the starting line-up. They include the likes of Petr Cech, Sokratis, and Mesut Ozil. Here is a look at why these three players have to improve their performance in the upcoming fixtures or else they may be dropped by the new manager.

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#3 Petr Cech

Cech has yet to justify his position as the first choice keeper

Many fans, like myself, are questioning the decision to have Cech in the starting line-up of every game thus far. The Gunners signed Bernd Leno in the summer, yet the German goalkeeper has not played a single minute.

It looks like Cech's glorified days when he was a Chelsea player has long been over. Over at Liverpool new goalie Alisson just conceded his first goal after four matches. Meanwhile, Arsenal has already conceded eight goals, the most among the top 12 teams in the current standings. Arsenal will not get anywhere with a poor goalkeeping and defensive record. Considering the Cech's experience at both club and international stages, he should really have done much better in all these seasons at the Emirates.

The 36-year-old always looked uncertain and unsteady at the back. In the most recent match against Crystal Palace, he made a mistake which almost caused his side to concede first. It was not the only mistake he made in the game. However, in the post-match conference, Emery defended the Czech Republic goalkeeper. The manager also mentioned giving time for Cech to improve.

Past the peak of his career, Cech may possibly retire anytime. He had won numerous trophies and awards during his time at Stamford Bridge. He should be one of the best goalkeepers in the world when he arrived at Arsenal a few years ago. If that is the case, why is Emery not giving Leno the chance to improve when the former Bundesliga player has a much bright future than Cech.

Should Cech not step up his game, he deserves to be dropped to the bench. Leno and Emiliano Martínez are both waiting for their chance to play for the first team and be in the starting line-up.

#2 Sokratis Papastathopoulos

Sokratis still has room for improvement

Sokratis was bought to keep clean sheets for his team. With Laurent Koscielny still unable to play following a long-term injury suffered in May, the Greek defender had no choice but to partner Shkodran Mustafi. Both centre-backs look very uncertain of the game plan and of each other's movements.

The lack of mutual understanding among the defenders has left plenty of loopholes where the opponents can exploit. Sokratis is one of the many players who consistently fail to track the run of other players and ended up covering the same areas as his team-mate.

Prior to the start of the new campaign, Sokratis expressed his love for seeing zero goals conceded. That dream of his has not yet come true as Arsenal has failed to keep a clean sheet each time in the league. The positive side of things is that the former Dortmund defender has proved to be much more willing to throw himself into tackles and blocking the shots from his opponents.

Things could have gone worse for the 30-year-old who is still adapting to the rigor of the Premier League. However, his performances are still not at the best of his ability and many are expecting much more from him. Hopefully, after this international break, he will be able to come back more energetic and aware of his responsibilities at the heart of the defence.

#1 Mesut Ozil

Ozil needs to regain confidence and play better

A lot of people have been criticising Ozil's work rate, his body posture, and his attitude towards games in general. There were even rumours saying that Ozil skipped the game against West Ham after falling out with Emery. Nacho Monreal has since clarified that there was no dispute between the German midfielder and their manager.

Regardless of what had happened, it is crucial for Ozil to step up his performance once the Premier League games start again. He has had a break these two weeks since he is no longer playing for the Germany national team. After the break, Arsenal will start having more and tougher fixtures in the coming months. The team will have to travel to face opponents in Europa League and the Carabao Cup.

The toughest match in the month of September is probably the game against Watford where the Gunners will be the host. The Hornets remain unbeaten since the opening match-day and even beat Tottenham 2-1 at home. There is no doubt about Ozil's creativity and talent as a midfielder. The real challenge is for him to replicate his high-level of performance in every single match. As compared to Eden Hazard or even Roberto Firmino, the 29-year-old is lacking consistency in his games.

Emery must find a way to motivate his midfielder to be confident in himself and get more involved in the game. It is easy for Ozil to be uninvolved as soon as Arsenal loses possession. As time goes by, it becomes harder and harder for him to get his momentum back. One thing that fans will truly want to see is Ozil improving his game in the upcoming fixtures.