The Spaniard sidelined Ozil for much of his time at the Emirates Stadium, a decision which was greeted with derision and disbelief by fans.
Weeks after his dismissal, Emery has now attempted to explain the reason behind putting the former Real Madrid playmaker on the fringes.
The 48-year-old admitted Ozil was very key to Arsenal, but insists he is not aggressive and not suited for his style of play.
"I've had a lot of conversations with Mesut Ozil, he's a very important player for the team," the Spanish coach told BBC Sport.
"There are games in which you see Mesut's brilliance, linking with the attack. But also I had to find players around him so he felt comfortable.”
"Also the team needed to feel solid. And when you, little by little, have to build a team that is aggressive, intense, as well as structured for good pressure.”
“We also had to find a space for Mesut as he gives us an important part of the game, which is his brilliant talent.”
"To do so I had to find the right connections between players, the right tactics. I was very motivated to try to find that.”
“I wanted Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut to work together, each one of them with their own characteristics.”
"But there were times when I had to leave one of them out of the XI. Ozil is a very important player if you can find a way to make it work with other players.
"He has talent that allows other players to be better, but when you want a bit more aggressive pressure he does not have the best qualities for that."
Emery has been replaced by former Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta and will take charge after the Gunners’ game against Everton on Saturday.
