Is Mesut Özil a victim of circumstance?

When Arsenal signed Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid back in the summer of 2013, it was supposedly the dawning of a new era, with the stadium now completely paid for and funds now being channelled to the transfer market. Mesut Ozil was supposed to be the catalyst of Arsenal's ascension.

Mesut Ozil started in superb fashion, and scored his debut goal in a Champions League game Napoli. Alexis Sanchez arrived some windows later and Mesut Ozil would form a lethal partnership with the Chilean wideman and they go on to plunder goals and assists.

The pinnacle of Ozil's Arsenal career was the 2015/16 season when he had recorded sixteen(16) league assists by Christmas, although he stuttered in the second half of the season, further registering only three in the remainder of season, partly due to striker inefficiency and the sad loss of Santi Carzola to a long term injury.

In those years, which have proven to be his best years at Arsenal, Ozil would play with the freedom to roam the pitch with the likes of Santi Carzola doing the dribbles and ball carrying, thereby creating spaces for the eagle-eyed German to work the channels and passing lanes. Since that loss of Santi, Arsenal have not had any player in that mould.

This perhaps explains Ozil's struggles, over the years, Ozil's best days have come in midfields with capable ball carriers and work horses to cover up for his obvious deficiencies. At Real Madrid, he had the likes of Xabi Alonso, in his early days here, he had Santi Carzola. However since the abrupt departure of Carzola, Ozil's performances have taken a major hit, his chance creation figures have dropped, his assist tallies have been pitiful, not helped either by flimsy finishing from the strikers.

There is no excuse for a player, especially one on Mesut Ozil's wage packet, to be underperforming or dependent on others to deliver, but it begs the question though, is Mesut Ozil being unfairly criticised for what he really cannot affect? Is he a victim of circumstance?.

Share Share Tweet Share Share Share

WANT TO OWN A SITE? For the best of site creating services at the best rates, contact us now via officialohmyarsenal@gmail.com