Former Premier League player John Collins is sceptical that Mikel Arteta can continue motivating Mesut Ozil to work hard at Arsenal.

Arteta's opening two games have seen the German, known to divide opinion regarding his attitude and body language, start in midfield and increase his work-rate on the pitch.

The new Gunners boss has however failed to win either of those matches, drawing at Bournemouth and losing against Chelsea, and former Scotland international Collins is not convinced Ozil should be relied on moving forward.

Mesut Ozil speaks to new Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta during the game against Chelsea

Ozil was undoubtedly working harder under Arteta, though John Collins is not convinced

'He [Arteta] did get Ozil working harder than he's ever worked, but leopards never change their spots,' Collins told BBC Radio 5 Live.

'That will be a short-term thing for Ozil because his natural instinct is to be lazy, it's not to have an instant sprint back, chasing back - it's not in his DNA.

'Technically gifted, but the reason that Arsenal haven't been successful in the last four or five years is because he has been in the team.'

Ozil, 31, has been at Arsenal for six-and-a-half years since arriving in a club-record deal from Real Madrid in the summer of 2013.

Yet his career in the past few years has been clouded with uncertainty, with his regular on-field remonstrations not popular with many of the Gunners fanbase.

Collins believes 'a leopard never changes his spots' in relation to Ozil's laziness on the pitch

'He's a lazy player,' Collins continued. 'A skilful player, but I think come the end of the season he'll be gone out of the team and Arteta will be looking for a team out on that pitch where every single player will be working their socks off.

'He doesn't like running, chasing. He doesn't like the ugly side of football. He likes when the ball is passed to his feet.

'I'll be very surprised if he can change him completely, from a player that likes to be lazy and walk back, to a player who sprints all over the pitch.'