His effectiveness at Arsenal will be given clarity with different personnel
Mesut Ozil’s impact in English football was instant. Upon his introduction against Sunderland following his £42m move from Real Madrid, he quickly gave evidence of his much-publicised locker of creative genius.
Away to Sunderland, the German registered one assist and could have had more had Theo Walcott been more clinical with his finishing. Nevertheless, hyperbole was out the window and accurate reporting of Ozil’s talent was in office.
It’s no surprise, then, that there has been an expectation for more, both from the Arsenal support and the wider Premier League audience.
Indeed, Ozil hasn’t retained the heights of his first few games in an Arsenal shirt, but to label him as either struggling or ineffective would be to completely ignore the style of football in operation at the Emirates.
The lift in morale has been palpable. Arsene Wenger has done a lot to retain the core of his squad and ensure that their confidence was built upon the strong finish of last season. But as is usually the case for teams whose mental fragility is well known, they needed another source of inspiration. Following Ozil’s arrival, the makeup of the entire club has been repainted.
Ozil’s injection of quality – a step up from the fantastic Santi Cazorla last year – has helped Arsenal to realise their potential as technically-gifted footballers. Where in the past the attractive displays were fleeting, it is now a constant theme of this season.
What needs to be said about Ozil is that he’s a player who won’t register a multitude of goals over the course of a season. He’s not a prolific midfield scorer in the way Juan Mata or Marco Reus is; his contributions are found elsewhere.
Of course, the assist is the easiest way to measure how much of an impact he’s having on a game. In his three seasons at Real Madrid, he tallied 31, 26 and 35 in all competitions for club and country. But much of his contribution was in helping the entire team to click. Cristiano Ronaldo may be the most valuable player at the Bernabeu by quite some distance, but Ozil and Xabi Alonso were the conductors of that team. Without them, the quality and fluidity of Madrid’s attack went down a few notches.
That’s why there shouldn’t be too much of a concern for Ozil at present. Yes, he is capable of much more, but such is his talent that even when he’s not quite at maximum output, he’s still better than the majority on the pitch.
His involvement in Arsenal’s best performances this season shouldn’t be undermined. Against Napoli he was at the centre of everything, scoring one of the goals and providing for Olivier Giroud. Much of the same was clear against Norwich. Against Liverpool, however, he wasn’t in the spotlight as much, but nevertheless played a decisive part in Arsenal’s win.
His assist for Aaron Ramsey’s wonder strike was there for all to see. But his deployment out on the flank was also vital for Arsenal’s dominance of the midfield and crucially in Liverpool’s defensive half. He drew defenders out of position. He played rapid one-twos to allow for further uncertainty in the defence. Importantly, he’s a reference to the other attackers further up the field. His ability on the ball can be inspirational, but vitally he keeps the play going, helping to retain the ball in key areas of the pitch.
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For those who need something more substantial, it is likely and certainly hoped that Theo Walcott’s return from injury will see Ozil in full flight. He was described by Jose Mourinho as the best No.10 in the world while at Real Madrid, obviously because of what he provided for Ronaldo and co. Creating for others is clearly his greatest asset, and that’s the job he was brought in to do. Thus far, Arsenal haven’t had the forward runners available that allowed for Ozil’s wizardry to become so prominent in the past.
Lukas Podolski, upon his return, should also be a boost. He’s a far more natural goal scorer than Olivier Giroud and certainly better than Walcott. Giroud deserves to be commended for his efforts, but bringing the other two forwards into the team will give Ozil the tools he needs to silence his doubters.