Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil believes that his performances are judged more harshly than those of other players.
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Ozil's place in the Gunners team has been the subject of much debate in the first month of the season, with a number of his displays having come in for criticism.
However, the Germany international returned to form in the 3-1 win at Aston Villa on Saturday and produced a man-of-the-match display which included scoring the opener and an assist for Danny Welbeck's first Arsenal goal.
But Ozil -- the club's record buy following his 42.5 million-pound move from Real Madrid in 2013 -- says the performance was not for his detractors but rather for his teammates and Gunners supporters.
"I don't play to prove others wrong, I play for Arsenal," he is quoted as saying by FAZ. "I do have the feeling that I am judged more critically. That was already the case in the Bundesliga, and also at Real Madrid. But I have to live with that. It's not the first time.
"The season has just started, we have new players in key positions and the teamwork, of which I am a major part, does not function from one day to another.
"Ten weeks ago, I was voted into the Premier League XI for last season, I then won the World Cup, and this was followed by the summer break. And only a few games into the season everything is questioned once again? But I know what I am capable of and have always come out on top."
Ozil also revealed that the continuing support of his teammates and the club's supporters have been vital in keeping his morale high after his slow start to the season.
"When you know that your own fans are behind you that gives you self-belief and encouragement," he told Arsenal's official website.
"I'm generally very satisfied [with my performance against Villa]. I think when you assess after the game and see that you have scored and made a goal, you're relieved and very pleased.
"I'd like to praise the whole team again, who really supported me, and especially the fans who were very loud. I want to thank the fans, who were really behind me and supported the whole team so well."
Ozil went on to hint that the system deployed by Arsene Wenger at Villa Park suited Arsenal, with the midfielder moving from the left into a central role.
"We played a bit differently, in our more usual system," he added. "I think that we were a bit better, a bit more organised and in the end that led to our success.
"When you look at the game, we dominated it and put them under pressure from the start. We scored important goals in the first half and that made it a bit easier for us. So congratulations to the team for delivering a perfect performance.
"We knew exactly what strengths we would have. We analysed Aston Villa before the game and knew how they would play. Especially in the first half, we created some very clear opportunities. We didn't waste our chances -- we took them and that made the game easier for us."
ESPN FC's Stephan Uersfeld contributed to this report