Here we go again. Statistically, Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge has faltered either in November or February. While the Gunners managed to navigate through November relatively unscathed, their brief lead at the top of the table evaporated in the manner of a week and they now find themselves nine points behind Antonio Conte’s resurgent Chelsea.
Arsene Wenger will be scratching his head and even the excuses of “dropping little bit physically in the second half” following what he believes was a hectic schedule do not suffice anymore. The fact that they lost to Everton and Manchester City after taking the lead only makes matters worse. The last time City won a league match they were trailing at half-time was four years ago.
In the eye of the storm is Mesut Ozil – Arsenal’s prized playmaker and record signing. Unfortunately for the German, the £42.4m price tag has painted a bulls-eye on his back and he is not immune from all sorts of criticism.
Is the criticism of Ozil merited or too harsh?
This is a debate where emotions need to be carefully put aside before actually analysing his impact on the game. Far too often the magnifying glass is focused on the wrong aspects of his game.
Pundits tore into Ozil for the way he meekly marked Ashley Williams on that corner kick in the 86th minute. The Welsh centre-back rose above the rest as Ozil cowered near the penalty spot, allowing a header on goal that gave the Toffees a 2-1 win.
No question was asked as to why Ozil was made to mark a powerful defender who is strong in the air. The German’s physicality is not one of the reasons why he was bought by the club. He may have beefed up ever since arriving in England but defending corners is not his cup of tea.
Yes, Ozil does seem to drift in big games but a closer look at some of these games paints a different picture. Against Manchester City, he was criticised again for the lack of incisiveness and chances created. However, the entire team failed as a whole that night. Ozil was still an effective passer, just not far up the pitch. But if the entire team is pegged back in their own half, how can Ozil be the sole player to blame for a collective failure?
Without the services of Santi Cazorla, Arsenal’s current formation makes Ozil the main creative fulcrum in the middle around which the team’s attack functions. Granit Xhaka is excellent at shielding the ball, passing his way out of trouble and finding full-backs with ease. But he does not yet have the instinct to thread passes through to the forwards and is taking time to adapt. The less said about Francis Coquelin’s vision and decision-making in the final third the better.
This allows opponents to mark Ozil out of the game. And yet he finds ways to make himself available for a pass. His movement off the ball may seem lackadaisical but stats show that he still runs a lot and covers more distance than his entire team (except for maybe Hector Bellerin).
He will not put up numbers in the defensive department. He is not going to harry opponents like Alexis Sanchez, the champion of “hard work and effort” in football.
Looking only at stats such as assists is also another way of belittling his impact. Nobody talks about the pre-assists – the key passes that help create the goal. Both Ozil and Alexis are among the top five in the league for key passes this season. Add their goals and they are far ahead of the competition in terms of impact on the game.
So to bring the house down on one player after a couple of poor performances definitely seems unwarranted. And one factor that did not work in his favour last week was his contract negotiation.
Also read: Marco Reus lined up as replacement if Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil leave
Does Ozil deserve the wages he has demanded?
Depending on which sources you believe, Ozil has asked for more than double his current wages of £140,000 per week. He is the highest-paid player at the club (Alexis Sanchez is paid £130,000 per week) and feels he deserves a bigger paycheck (who wouldn’t?).
The 28-year-old has 18 months left on his contract (as does Alexis Sanchez) and the Gunners are trying to renew it before the end of the season, lest the profit-conscious board is forced to sell him and avoid releasing him for free – a scandal in the making for fans who have still not forgiven the club for the sale of Robin van Persie.
“At the moment they are holding the club hostage. They are amazing but if they are on that amount of money, I want a hat-trick every week – and also when there’s no game!” – Thierry Henry
Selling another world class player would bring the club back to square one. With the stadium debts no longer an albatross around the club’s neck, selling players is not the Gunners’ main source of income anymore.
The Premier League’s new £5.1 billion television deal has given clubs enough ammunition in the transfer market and has also allowed them to improve the wages of players currently at the club. Ozil was signed in 2013 – long before the TV deal threw tons of cash at all 20 clubs. So are his demands too much?
In contrast, most of the Premier League stars of his calibre earn upwards of £200,000 per week; seven players in fact. Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure, David Silva (all Manchester City), Paul Pogba, Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimovic (all Manchester United) and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard earn much more than Ozil does in a week.
| # | Player | Club | Wages per week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Pogba | Man Utd | £290,000 |
| 2 | Wayne Rooney | Man Utd | £260,000 |
| 3 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | Man Utd | £250,000 |
| 4 | Sergio Aguero | Man City | £240,000 |
| 5 | Yaya Toure | Man City | £240,000 |
| 6 | Eden Hazard | Chelsea | £220,000 |
| 7 | David Silva | Man City | £200,000 |
Also read: At 35, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the last great No.9s who refuses to wane
While Ozil is mentioned in the same breath as Hazard, Ibrahimovic and Pogba, he is certainly a cut above the likes of a 33-year-old Toure and a fading Rooney. The Manchester clubs also have a lot more financial clout than Arsenal but Wenger has envisioned a club where no player earns more than the manager (a philosophy also championed by his age-old rival Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford).
“The players make good money anyway. The money is good everywhere for everybody. You negotiate more with the agents than the player so we are in negotiations. Of course it is normal.” – Arsene Wenger
Yet, times have changed since sponsors started pouring money into football. Arsenal’s Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis recently claimed that the club has 31 partners around the world. A lack of sufficient income should no longer be an excuse for a club that charges the highest prices in the land for matchday and season tickets.
This is not to say that Ozil does not deserve a pay rise. Of course, he does. So does Alexis. A socialist wage structure failed in the early rebuilding years as players left the Emirates for pastures anew. But the player and club must come to an understanding where the wages are not over the top so as to strike an imbalance in the squad and set a precedent for incoming transfers.
Bottom line: losing a player like Ozil is not an option for Arsenal. And the club cannot afford to make the same mistakes that crippled them in the past.
