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Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil now holds the record for best games per assist rate in Premier League history after setting up Olivier Giroud in the 36th minute at in the 2-0 win over Everton at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. Ozil is currently topping this season’s assist chart in the domestic league with a total of seven assists while Manchester City’s David Silva is trailing the German international by just one assist.
The 2014 World Cup winner is undoubtedly enjoying the best spell in the famous red-and-white shirt for the first time since he was signed from Real Madrid in the summer of 2013. Ozil made a fantastic start at the Emirates, but failed to set the world on fire and till date, some Arsenal supporters are still demanding more from their record signing. However, the stats have shown that Ozil is one of the hardest working attacking midfielders in the league in terms of ground covered.
Assists are the German’s speciality. His talent lies in the subtle touches and runs off the ball that can change a game. Former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo flourished alongside Ozil, who certainly has an eye for a pass. The Portuguese captain was even furious with Madrid’s decision to let go of the German international in the summer of 2013.
The 27-year-old is now in his third season with the North London club and judging by his recent performances for the Gunners, Ozil seems to be getting his mojo back. He scored the winner in his side’ s victory against Bayern Munich earlier on Tuesday and he continued his remarkable form by adding an assist to his name against Everton on Saturday.
Ozil’s stats keep pouring from various sources every now and then, but according to Opta he now has the best games/assist rate in Premier League history, averaging one assist ever 2.71 matches. Over the years, Ozil has added a number of assists to his name and the recent data revealed by Sky Sports has claimed that since 2008, the Arsenal playmaker has registered a total of 93 assists among the top five European Leagues.
Ozil trails Barcelona’s Lionel Messi by five assists while Cesc Fabregas cements the third spot with a total of 83 assists.
He is just within touching distance of Messi’s record and he hasn’t quite become the greatest assist maker of all time. Ozil bagged a brace of assists in Arsenal’s win over Watford last weekend and the pass he provided to Giroud’s goal in itself was exquisite.
Ozil finally looks to be back to being the player he was at Santiago Bernabeu, where he earned the recognition for being one of the best creative midfielders in Europe.
| RANK | PLAYER | ASSISTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | 98 |
| 2 | Mesut Ozil | 93 |
| 3 | Cesc Fabregas | 83 |
| 4 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 73 |
| 5 | Franck Ribery | 67 |
| Juan Mata | 67 |
Stats courtesy of Sky Sports
