Opinion: Mesut Ozil is underappreciated and selfless

Mesut Ozil, the ‘former’ German international. Some regard him as one of the best midfielders in the game right now, while others see him as a lazy flat-track bully. To all those who consider him the latter, have a peek at his performance against Leicester City last week.

Ozil is now the top-scoring German in the Premier League right now. From his style of play, anyone who understands football can infer that he prefers assisting over scoring goals.

When we look at the number of chances he has created, its mouthwatering. Most of them came in the era when Arsenal lacked a clinical poacher.

He was the player Germany looked up to when they needed a lift

There is a myth in modern football - Mesut Ozil is lazy and lacks work rate. It was not that long ago when Mesut Ozil covered the second most ground out of all Arsenal's players. Add that fact to the way he distributes the ball, it’s harsh to say that he is a lazy flat track bully.

As of today, Ozil has played in the Bundesliga, LaLiga, and the Premier League. No matter which league he plays in, or with whom he plays with, his ability to create chances always lifts his teams when needed.

In a team which boasts the likes of Manuel Neuer, Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, and many others, Mesut Ozil has won Germany’s Player of the Year award a staggering five times. He was the player Germany looked up to when they needed a lift. No matter what, he is always there for his team when needed.

Ozil is most effective when deployed in the middle

“I think we played some sexy football tonight” This is Ozil’s tweet after the Leicester game. Did you watch the game? If you had, you surely would agree with him.

In that game, Unai Emery solved one puzzle. Ozil is most effective when deployed in the middle. He can launch attacks and work effectively towards the build-up play. Beware Premier League, Ozil is up and running, so are Arsenal!