Arsenal's Mesut Ozil: Second-half hat-trick in thumping of Ludogorets

Ozil won three tackles, put in six crosses, provided an assist and scored a hat-trick from four shot attempts during Wednesday's 6-0 thumping of Ludogorets in the Champions League.

Analysis:

Ozil was content to play the role of provider in the first half, and he sent a delicate chipped pass that Theo Walcott collected and deposited into the goal to double the lead before the break. The second stanza was a different story, however, as Ozil ran behind the defense and slotted home a long feed from Santi Cazorla before finishing crosses from Lucas Perez in the 83rd and 87th minutes for the first hat-trick of his professional career. Ozil has seen a noticeable uptick in goal scoring this season with an improved supporting cast around him, and he is already nearing the career-high 10 he managed with Real Madrid in 2012/13. He will have the opportunity to follow up on this outstanding performance Saturday versus Middlesbrough in league play.