It was all hunky-dory at the Emirates at the turn of the year. Arsenal were top of the table after beating the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Leicester City on their way to the Premier League summit. After a summer transfer window where questions were asked of Arsene Wenger’s strategy of signing only a goalkeeper in Petr Cech, the veteran French manager seemed to have silenced his critics.
Mesut Ozil was the Gunners’ orchestrator in chief. After accumulating as many as 16 assists in the first five months of the campaign, breaking Thierry Henry’s Premier League record of 20 assists seemed only a mere formality by the time 2016 rolled around.
But the past three-and-a-half months have been anything but kind to Arsenal. A capitulation saw draws and losses come in almost equal measure as the Gunners surrendered their lead at the top and slowly dropped down the table. First, it was Leicester City who leapfrogged them. Then it was Tottenham Hotspur. And, finally, Manchester City have also moved to third – albeit on goal difference.
Fourth place. An all too familiar situation for the north London club.
On a personal level, this has been Ozil’s best season with Arsenal ever since making the £42.4m switch from Real Madrid in 2013. He has scored eight goals so far, six of which have come in the league.
But it his assist numbers that have seen a shot in the arm. With 18 assists, the total is more than his previous two seasons combined! Indeed, the German midfielder seemed well rested and fresh off a summer break without any major international tournament. The 2014 World Cup did affect his 2014/15 season to an extent.
Why Ozil must not be blamed for Arsenal’s struggles
In 2015, Ozil was averaging almost an assist a game – one every 97 minutes to be exact. He had created 80 chances in the league and every fifth chance was converted into an assist.
The player who benefited the most was French striker Olivier Giroud who scored six goals from Ozil assists. It was the highest in the league until Harry Kane scored his seventh goal from a Dele Alli assist against Stoke City on Monday night.
However, Ozil’s numbers soon dwindled in 2016. Since the turn of the year, the 27-year-old has made just two assists. The first was what was seen as the all-important winner against Leicester City when Danny Welbeck headed home Ozil’s cross from a free-kick in the dying seconds of the game at the Emirates.
The result was supposed to spark a comeback in the title race. It did not.
The second assist came against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the 3-2 loss. Ozil had scored and assisted in that game but ended up on the losing side.
To make the claim that arsenal are struggling because Ozil is unable to assert himself is a petty notion. The Gunners aren’t struggling to stay afloat in Champions League places because Ozil has failed to deliver.
Instead, it is his teammates who have failed to convert his chances.
If he created 80 chances in the first five months, he has created a further 51 chances since January. He has still created a goalscoring chance every 23 minutes – an average of four chances per game.
| 2015 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|
| Assists | 16 | 2 |
| Mins/Assist | 97 | 575 |
| Chances Created | 80 | 51 |
| Mins/Chance Created | 19 | 23 |
| Assists/Chance Created | 5 | 26 |
Stats via Opta Sports
Ozil’s teammates have failed to convert chances created
As the numbers show, Ozil has consistently created chances for Arsenal in 2016 and the numbers are almost on par with those in 2016. The only difference is that his teammates have failed in putting them away.
Giroud’s form has dropped alarmingly since his brace against Liverpool and it has seen him dropped to the bench. He has had 83 shots inside the area this season with a shot accuracy of 53%. Danny Welbeck is still feeling his way back into the side after being sidelined for 10 months and he has still managed to get on the scoresheet in recent games.
Alexis Sanchez has also struggled this season after notching 26 goals in his debut campaign. The Chilean forward is badly in need of a summer off having played the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa America. Injuries have seen him sidelined and he recently admitted that a fear of injury had seen his confidence drop. Meanwhile, Theo Walcott has struggled to get back to his best all season and he, too, has been relegated to the bench.
For now, Arsenal will most likely end the season trophyless. A Champions League spot is all they can hope for and, with a battle against a resurgent Manchester City side, the Gunners have it all to do with fans at their wits’ end regarding Wenger’s failure to finish at the top this season.
