Premier League 2019-20: Three reasons why Mesut Ozil should be starting for Arsenal

Bubemi
Where did it all go wrong for Unai Emery and Mesut Ozil?
Where did it all go wrong for Unai Emery and Mesut Ozil?

As a former FIFA World Cup winner and Galactico, Mesut Ozil has seen it all in the game of football. Some viewed the German’s move to the Emirates as a step-down but he saw it as an opportunity to work under a manager he truly respected in Arsène Wenger. However, those days are gone and Ozil now finds himself managed by someone completely different in Unai Emery.

From day one it was clear the Spaniard and German weren’t going to see eye to eye and now a year and a half later, things only seeemed to have gotten worse. Despite being fit, Ozil, one of Arsenal's highest paid players, has only featured twice this season. It’s not just that he’s been dropped from the starting XI, Unai Emery hasn’t even included him in the matchday squad on seven occasions. Now, Arsenal are paying for those decisions and it could be time to make an argument for Ozil to feature in Emery's plans, for the best interest of the club.

Here are three reasons why Arsenal need Mesut Ozil in the starting XI.


#3 Lack of Creativity

Arsenal only have 13 league goals this season.
Arsenal only have 13 league goals this season.

Since arriving at the Emirates, Unai Emery’s main source of chance creation has been through cutbacks into the box. The Spaniard likes his teams to work the ball wide, allowing his full-backs to overlap constantly. His reliance on this method has frozen out Mesut Ozil, as he refuses to play through the middle. Regardless, his over-reliance on this method has proven to be strategy that oppositions are often prepared for.

This season in the Premier League, on average the Gunners have only created 10.2 chances per game. In comparison, Manchester City has averaged 17.2 chances per game. Despite only playing 71 minutes of league football this season, Ozil is still the club’s seventh most creative player. His teammates are clearly struggling without him and have only 13 goals in the league this season. The only reason Arsenal are in contention for a place in the top four is the goalscoring form of Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, a world-class striker who has been feeding off scraps in a team crying out for creativity.

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#2 Too much of a distraction

The battle between Ozil and Emery is overshadowing anything positive at the club.
The battle between Ozil and Emery is overshadowing anything positive at the club.

Every single time an Arsenal line-up is announced on social media, thousands of fans instantly ask, ‘where’s Ozil?’. This narrative power struggle between player and manager has begun to overshadow other positive things happening at the club.

Fans could be appreciating the emergence of academy graduates Bukayo Saka and Joe Willock in the first team set up or Matteo Guendouzi's performances in the season. They could even take stock of Gabriel Martinelli's good run of form in the UEFA Europa League. Instead, a lot of the attention is diverted to the chatter about the omission of Ozil from the squad.

In all honesty, when the club’s highest earner doesn’t make matchday squads on a regular eyebrows are bound to be raised. Arsenal is basically paying Mesut Ozil over £1million a month to stay at home and play Fortnite.

Of course, money doesn't guarantee a spot in the squad but with a team is deprived of creative quality the way Arsenal are, they can’t afford not to play Mesut Ozil. Through absence, Ozil's stock has begun to rise while the #EmeryOut trend continues to gather pace.

#1 His impact is undeniable

Mesut Ozil has directly contributed to 84 goals in the Premier League for Arsenal.
Mesut Ozil has directly contributed to 84 goals in the Premier League for Arsenal.

Critics may have queries over the German's body language but one can’t deny his impact on Arsenal. Since arriving in England, the Gunners are unbeaten in 80% of the league games Mesut Ozil has appeared in. In his 167 Premier League appearances, the 31-year-old has directly contributed to 84 goals equating to a goal in almost every two games. It is baffling how Unai Emery can say with a straight face that he doesn’t need a player of Ozil's calibre in a team that’s struggling for goals.

Many a time, the German has been used as a scapegoat for Arsenal’s failings in the big games. While he has failed to turn up on big occasions in the past, one can’t overstate his influence against the smaller teams. There’s a reason why the playmaker reached 50 assists in 141 Premier League games. Emery may not trust Özil away from home or in big games, but there’s no excuse not to use him in the smaller clashes where he has proven to be instrumental before.

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Edited by A. Ayush Chatterjee