Robert Pires has lavished praise on Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil following his brilliant performance against Liverpool on the weekend.

The much-maligned German playmaker starred for the Gunners in the 4-1 triumph at the Emirates Stadium, scoring with a lovely free-kick in the 40th minute, while being a constant menace for the visiting defence.

Ozil's output recently has improved dramatically since he returned from a knee injury in January and his showings of late have certainly not been lost on former French winger Pires.

"For me, the man of the match was Mesut Ozil," Pires told the Arsenal Magazine.

"And I am so glad that he proved his critics wrong.

"Too many people have criticised him this season and overall since he arrived at Arsenal. I train with him regularly and I can tell you that he is one of the best players I have seen.

"He loves this club and cares a lot about it. He wants to win trophies here and wants to make the fans happy, like he did against Liverpool."