3 Things Mesut Ozil Should Do To Regain His Status At Arsenal

Arsenal were 2-0 winners against Everton at the Emirates when the two sides met on Sunday, September 23. Goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave Arsenal its 4th victory in the premier league, in a game where none of the sides looked comfortable and in control. Both Arsenal strikers exchanged positions throughout the game just as Unai Emery would like to see if he is to accommodate both in the starting line-up.

But, one thing that has become common in the past few games is that Mesut Ozil did not perform as expected. It has become a kind of a theme for Arsenal where players around Ozil are starting to improve but Ozil is not reaching the levels he once promised.

It is for Unai to figure out what Ozil's best position is and if he finds Ozil not fit for his style of play, he may well make his intentions clear to the board. A player who performed so well under the demanding Mourinho looks disinterested nowadays. It is a surprise that a player whose work rate was given as an example by La Liga pundits is often criticised for his lethargic body language.

Here we take a look at 3 things Ozil must do to impress Unai Emery and also to regain his Star status at the Emirates:

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#1. Taking the initiative to demand the ball

Ozil again went missing against Everton at the Emirates

Ozil and Aubameyang have one similarity and that is both often need space to work with and also need players around them to complement their style. The magic they show after receiving the ball at their feet is a different point altogether. But that kind of approach may work in La Liga or Bundesliga, not in the Premier League. The midfielders here in England little time to get their heads up and look for an opportunity to pass due to the fast nature of the game. And Arsenal do miss Santi Cazorla whose incisive passing was so crucial to Arsenal.

This is where Ozil's initiative to go deep and demand the ball comes to play. He needs to be more proactive. Moreover, the German needs to be more assertive in his off the ball work and pressing hard to force the opposition defenders to concede errors. The ex-Real Madrid midfielder needs to influence the game a lot more.

#2. Keep it Simple

The urge to deliver the perfect pass sometimes makes the player miss out on a simpler pass that could have resulted in a team goal. Against Everton, he was too casual for the second goal, Aubameyang had to come to the rescue. Ozil needs to be more aware of his surrounding space to predict a defender tackling him and at the same time, he has to have a simpler approach to the game.

Ozil is still in the top five assist makers from 2013 in the Premier League, but the number is going down as he is guilty of losing possession in wrong areas. He takes too much time in delivering the final pass and then carves out a dejected figure once the ball is lost. All he needs to do is put in simpler and more effective passes rather than looking for the perfect pass all the time.

#3 Track Back

Ozil can take a leaf out of Liverpool forwards' book

Tracking back always is not just to win a lost ball. It is also to keep the intensity of a match going. Also, once you show your work rate to the crowd, they will lift you in times when you are feeling low. Jurgen Klopp's team is the best example. Other than Salah, all the other forward players never miss a chance to sprint back and demand a pass.

Ozil needs to show that urgency sometimes. That he doesn't enjoy defending is for all to see, but he can help himself by putting in a shift to help his midfielders and more interestingly make the crowd love him again. Unai Emery is very demanding in his tactics and Ozil needs to pull up his socks if he wants to be the no1 player at Arsenal.