Analysis: How Arsenal’s Mesut Özil silenced his critics

Arsenal may have handed the title race initiative to Manchester City and Chelsea after a 2-2 draw at Southampton, but it wasn’t for the want of Mesut Özil’s trying.

There is an accusation often levelled at Özil which suggests he is a player that goes missing in the big games.

He had not yet reached the lofty heights of his time at Real Madrid with Arsenal since his blockbuster summer arrival, granted, but has hardly shirked from the responsibility of being the Gunners’ leading light either.

Last night, for instance, was a prime example of Özil’s worth to this Arsenal side who, though the supporters would not have you believe, picked up a perfectly creditable point at Southampton and one which ultimately prove crucial in the title picture.

Their first-half performance was arguably their worst of the season, with honourable mentions too to the major blot on the copybook this campaign at Manchester United and the meek surrender to Napoli which almost cost them a Champions League second-round berth.

Özil was nowhere to be seen in the opening period, constantly suffocated by Southampton’s aggressive style which saw them peg their opponents further and further back into submission. They were full merit for their half-time lead, handed to them by Jose Fonte.

The statistics did not read positively from an Arsenal perspective. Just one shot, as the image below illustrates, for their insipid first-half endeavours. The Heat Map below shows how most of the play came just in front of the Arsenal back four, with Adam Lallana – the Squawka Man of the Match – pulling the Saints’ strings.

But, one presumes off the back of an Arsene Wenger hairdryer treatment, the Gunners and Özil in particular stepped up a few gears in the second half to haul themselves back into contention.

Olivier Giroud’s equaliser was expertly tucked home via his heel before Özil came to the fore to tee up Santi Cazorla, whose sweet strike gave Arsenal the lead.

The German’s passing became crisper and more incisive as a result, but critics of Özil would most likely have seen the Saints’ equaliser – through that man Lallana – as an instigator for the Arsenal No.11 to fade back into obscurity.

That he then embarked on a remarkable weaving run, with a shimmy thrown in here and there, through the heart of the Southampton team before seeing his shot clip off a defender’s heels onto the crossbar demonstrated the battle-hardened qualities he has begun to develop in the hustle and bustle of English football.

Özil’s performance graph is perhaps the most accurate representation of his Jekyll and Hyde-esque showing. The first 30 minutes produced a performance score of less than 10 and the final 15 minutes of the half – when the German’s performance escalated – coincided with the Gunners’ sole effort of the half through Laurent Koscielny.

The second half ranged from 18 at the start to a peak of 45, when Özil launched himself into action by galloping through the Southampton half of the field only to find his luck was out at the end of it all.

Interestingly enough, Özil completed two tackles from as many attempted in the opening period as he came to embody a side with their backs pressed firmly against the wall before the interval with a backtracking tackle on Saints striker Sam Gallagher the highlight of his defensive work.

Perhaps the commitment shown by the otherwise peripheral first-half display from Özil acted as the catalyst for a commanding entrance to stun Mauricio Pochettino and his side.

The four take ons Özil succeeded with was actually more than he has managed in any game following his £42.4m introduction to English football, and having attempted just six, it made for excellent reading.

The industrious presence of Morgan Schneiderlin put paid to Özil’s hopes of a 100% accuracy by thwarting him with two tackles in the first half but, as such, his persistence ensured he would ride a Schneiderlin interception late on.

The performance was not without its flaws, no less than his delivery from set pieces, odd considering his attention to detail with the ball at his feet, but just one of his corners found an Arsenal head. Likewise, a 20% success rate from five crosses is a poor return for a player of such undeniable gift and ability.

But on the other side of the coin, his passing and usage of the ball in open play was as exemplary as normal, posting 89% of his attempts, working out at 47 out of 53.

Amongst those, Özil registered just the one key pass but what a critical one it was, laying the ball on a plate for Cazorla to apply the required spin to the ball to see it fizz past the desperate reach of Boruc’s right hand.

And out of his failed passes only one was played backwards, highlighting the German’s desire to get his side moving upfield. It is also telling that just one of these misplaced passes came in the second half – and in the 90th minute at that – to further emphasise his domination of midfield.

Sadly for Özil, Lallana found just as imperious form for the home side but on the evidence of the second half, Arsenal’s mercurial midfield star is certainly not one to demur from taking the mantle when the chips are down.