Even before the start of the 2015/16 season everyone at Arsenal knew this season would be critical; with two consecutive FA Cup triumphs in the bag, a real challenge for the Premier League title was seriously required. If Arsenal are to do that, the club’s biggest stars have to perform – and Mesut Özil, he has been doing even further; he’s literally carrying the Gunners. We’ve progressed through half of the season and Özil is one of the main reasons why Arsenal are and will be battling for domestic glory. We know how many people in England doubted the German play-maker in his early life in London, but Özil’s currently form is not surprising for the fans who actually watched him in Spain week after week. For someone who’s followed him since Bremen days, I can tell he’s playing the best football of his career – since the turn of the year & his comeback from an injury, Mesut Özil is putting in amazing performances and the most relevant, he’s showing incredibly consistency, physically and technically. Özil has completed the full 90 minutes of a match in 10 of his last 11 games for Arsenal, something that wasn’t usual during Madrid’s days. In those 11 games, he has provided eight assists and scored three goals.
We can notice that Özil has been absolutely sharp & is at his peak physically and can play his football without problems. The stats show Arsene Wenger rarely subs Özil off, because he knows the German retains the ability to decide games with a magical moment of creativity and a brilliant pass (like he did vs. Spurs). While at Real Madrid, Özil was integrated into a team. Now he’s the main man of a team and is one of Arsène Wenger’s first thoughts going to a match. Arsène is aware that without Özil, the team misses the final “click” going forward, the final piece to complete the attacking puzzle & the world class talent necessary to beat strong defences.
In a season where Leicester City are catching attention and currently top of the table, several journalists and pundits are claiming that if the season ended tomorrow, Jamie Vardy or Riyad Mahrez would be favourites to win Player of the Season Award. They’ve been excellent, but if we are going to take into account quality and influence, there are no shadows of doubt that Mesut Özil has been the league’s best player this season. Looking at some stats, the 27-year-old’s impact is mind-blowing – he has the most assists (12) & the most chances created (63) in the Premier League, that also top the respective charts in Europe’s top five leagues. No other player in England’s first division has completed more passes in the final third (383) than Özil too. If we go deep and check stats throughout the calendar year of 2015, no one in Europe has more league assists (16) than the Arsenal magician.
Özil’s form is so good that in November he broke two historic records – he became quickest player to hit 10 Premier League assists in a season (needing only 11 appearances) and the first player to assist a goal in six consecutive Premier League games (which he extended to seven). To make more justice to the statement that Özil is carrying Arsenal, of the Gunners’ 26 goals in the league this term, he has either scored or assisted 14 of them. There’s no bigger proof that Mesut Özil holds the key to Arsenal’s title hopes. Admittedly, key players like Alexis Sánchez, Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin out injured are a big blow, but it seems that Özil’s magnificent form is nowhere near to stopping.
November Report:
Deservedly, Özil has been named Arsenal’s Player of the Month and PFA Fans’ Player of the Month for November, but that month wasn’t so enjoyable for Arsenal, was it? The Gunners won just twice. Well, it was a vexing beginning as they were shattered at the Allianz Arena against Bayern Munich. One of Gunners’ positives was Özil. In a game where the opposition maintained the possession, Özil led each of offensive play Arsenal could have and had a goal ruled out. Arsenal had an opportunity to redeem themselves in the north London Derby, however they could only get a draw at the Emirates but with stunning performances from Petr Cech & Mesut Özil. The newest signing made superb saves to keep Arsenal in the game. After some wasted Olivier Giroud attempts from two great Özil crosses, Kieran Gibbs finished off a sensational ball at the far post delivered by the mercurial German.
Away at West Brom, Giroud headed the ball in after an Özil free-kick (they form the most creative combinations in the league, with the Germany setting-up the Frenchman five times already this term) but the game ended in a 2-1 defeat. Then, Arsenal had to completely forget about the league and focus on the UEFA Champions League in a make-or-break game vs. Dinamo Zagreb at home. Once more, Özil was the highlight scoring a header from an Alexis assist. Özil could easily have got a hat-trick, had the goalkeeper not made two good saves to deny his efforts.
Back in the league, away at Norwich, Özil netted for the second game in a row following another Sánchez assist. For the past few games, they were having a fantastic connection, making many interchanging passes between them, but unfortunately the Chilean got injured in that match. In the next fixture, Arsenal played Sunderland at home and, in the first half, Özil assisted Joel Campbell with a well-executed and perfectly weighted through-ball. Mesut Özil also showed his class in the second period, with a lovely trick & could’ve left the pitch with two more assists for Aaron Ramsey.
*Stats as of 9th December, 2015.
