It’s fair to say that Mesut Ozil is a standout player in that Arsenal squad. The German international has added a certain flair to Arsenal’s already impressive style of play, with his deft touches and silky passing. On his day, he can penetrate any defense with his splitting passes.
But when he does not perform, he goes ‘missing’ of sorts. On many occasions, the fans and pundits question his commitment to the cause, lamenting his work-rate and passion during the big games. It is true to a certain extent; statistically, Mesut Ozil does perform considerably below par in the games against the top 5 teams in the Premier League. It’s still harsh criticism for a player who averages three-goal scoring chances a game. But is there an element of truth in the fact that Arsenal seem to perform better without Mesut Ozil?
Arsenal were “much better” without Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez when they took on Chelsea on Sunday, according to club legend Martin Keown,
“Without these two, Arsenal were much better defensively. They were disciplined, worked together and pressed as a unit to close down Chelsea,” Keown wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.
“I am not saying that these two should be frozen out. Sanchez did well when he came on and both men still have a part to play. But from now on, every player must adopt this level of organisation in tricky away games. This showed the strength of their XI is better than any individual.”
Arsenal’s visit to Stamford Bridge, though goalless, was still one of their best performances in the recent past. The defence seemed stable for the first time this season. Granit Xhaka looked composed on the ball and his midfield partner Aaron Ramsey ran the show. The forward line wasn’t too convincing but everyone put in their shifts for a fine team performance.
An hour before the game when the team-sheets were out, fans were left fuming as Arsene Wenger went into another important game without fielding his strongest starting XI. The outcome, however, pleased everyone. They played with purpose, after quite some time.
Their front three, consisting of Lacazette, flanked by Iwobi and Welbeck performed well to close down the defence from spraying passes to the midfield. But the other area where Arsenal have struggled this season, apart from their defensive woes is scoring goals. They had the vigilant Aaron Ramsey in midfield, but he didn’t sync with Lacazette as much as Arsene would have liked. That is where Ozil comes into the frame. He is the link between the midfield and the attack. So, it might not be entirely fair to make him the scapegoat for the team’s poor performances.
With that being said, it is obvious that Wenger’s 3-4-3 is not a system that suits Mesut Ozil. Playing down the wings is not his forte, as he can cause considerably more damage down the centre.
