How the enigmatic Mesut Ozil stepped up for Arsenal when it mattered most

Mesut Ozil was one of Arsenal’s best performers against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League

One might be tempted to make a grandiose declaration like, “As goes Özil, so go Arsenal”. It wouldn’t even be partially true. However, what I can say about Özil is that, when he is at his best, he makes Arsenal so much more than the sum of its parts. Yet, I have to qualify that by saying “when Arsenal have the ball”. Indeed, when the opponents have possession, Özil looks like a kid who lost his way and somehow stumbles into a football game.

For years, I had seen him operating off either flank at Real Madrid, consistently creating chances. Put a German jersey on his back and he is Superman, turning up in tiny pockets all over the field, seemingly getting every second touch, the oil in the well-oiled German attack. Then I would be left scratching my head as he would return from an international break and lay a complete dud for the Gunners.

Just as I am about to scream for his head, he’d put on a dazzling display and the pundits would be gushing about Arsenal and beautiful football. Last year, his overall output was so poor, I was calling for his head – well, to be put on the transfer market. What a difference this season.

Ozil has adapted his game at Arsenal

Since the first few months after his acquisition, this is the first time Özil has put together a string of games where he has shown us what the Gunners paid £42.4m for. His performance against Dinamo Zagreb took it to another level, one I have never seen him exhibit anywhere. Özil diving low to head the ball in after a long run into the box, Özil contesting the goalkeeper and almost pulling off a dazzling back headed goal, Özil making run after run into the box, Özil pressing the Dynamo defense – absolutely unheard of.

Mesut Ozil scores with a diving header in the box

All this while keeping up the incisive, defence-splitting passes that have taken him to the top of the assist list, not just in the EPL, but across all of Europe. I look back to the heartbreaking loss at West Brom and, curiously, one player who came out looking good was Özil. He created quite a few chances and he was unlucky to hit the post on a beautiful strike that beat the goalkeeper.

Yet, having spewed out all these superlatives, even the experts commenting on the game missed out on the “lost kid” moment in yesterday’s game. After an aborted Arsenal attack, Zagreb built up towards the Arsenal box. All the Arsenal players retreated into their own third of the field, Özil along the left side of the Arsenal defence. There it was – Özil looking around, not knowing where he should place himself and who he should be tracking.

It occurred to me that if this were American football, the opponents’ assistant coach stationed in the observation booth would have spotted this, relayed it to the coach and the offense would have gone after Özil. Fortunately, there are no assistants in observation booths at football games and no timeouts to set up strategies. However, that was the only blemish in what was easily the best game I have seen Özil play.

Ozil working hard on both ends of the pitch

In the EPL, every player has to pull his weight on defence. Those who don’t are always called into question. I refer to them as “luxury players”, ones who are so creative in attack, one lives with their defensive weaknesses. Some who come to mind are Juan Mata and Eden Hazard – well, Hazard was forced to improve his defence by Mourinho.

Özil is squarely in that category. This season, I think the emergence of Francis Coquelin and the surprising adaptation of Santi Cazorla to a deeper role has enabled Özil to return to the form he first displayed. He can stay further up the field, where he can actually play some effective defence by pressing the opponents’ back line.

Mesut Ozil was pressing the opposition whenever Arsenal lost the ball

This was clearly in evidence in the Champions League. Also, with his stamina, this slight change will keep him effective for the full 90 minutes, though I would love to see Arsene Wenger take him off at about 70-80 minutes whenever he can.

Having suffered another loss to old nemesis Tony Pulis, this weekend brings us another test against the architect of the successful “mug ‘em” philosophy that has worked for so many years against Arsenal. With Coquelin gone and Mathieu Flamini’s penchant for picking up cards, this could be a much tougher game than one might have thought even a couple of weeks ago.

Can Özil incorporate some martial arts philosophy and turn the tables, using the opponent’s physical approach to draw them in and leave them sprawling on their behinds as he dances away goal-wards?