Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has had a massive fall from grace over the past year. The German midfielder is not a regular starter under Unai Emery anymore despite being the highest earner at the North London club. He has also retired from international football following Germany’s humiliating exit from the 2018 FIFA World Cup. There is no doubt that things have changed drastically for the German playmaker over the last few years.
Ozil – The Rise Of The Arsenal Playmaker
The Gelsenkirchen born talent joined the Gunners from Real Madrid in the summer transfer window of 2013. He had a fruitful first few years at the Emirates Stadium under the expert leadership of Arsene Wenger. In his debut season for Arsenal, Ozil scored seven goals while creating 14 assists in 40 matches across all competitions.
The German attacking midfielder had a slight dip in form in the following campaign, finding the back of the net five times and providing nine assists in 32 appearances for the North London giants. However, he had his best year in the 2015-16 campaign, scoring eight times while notching up with a whopping 20 assists in 45 matches for Arsenal.
Ozil had set such high standards for himself that the Gunners fans were expecting more and more for him with each passing season. The German delivered to an extent in the next campaign scoring 12 goals (his best tally since joining Arsenal) and creating 14 assists in 44 appearances.
The Fall Of The German Assist King
In Wenger’s last season at the Emirates, Ozil still managed to get five goals and 14 assists to his name, but he was always being criticised for his defensive work rate which was non-existent at times. Many of Arsenal’s top stars failed to deliver yet the German still managed to have a productive season going forward.
Arsenal’s ‘assist king’, who was one cherished by most football fans, was slowly becoming low in confidence because of the negativity surrounding the Gunners last season, especially after they could only manage a 6th place finish in the Premier League standings without winning any silverware.
A Victim Of The Circumstances?
The fact that his contract was running out in January and he was ready to play the waiting game in order to get a significant pay hike did not go down well with the club’s supporters. However, if we place ourselves in the German’s shoes, wouldn’t we have done the same thing in such a situation?
After all, Ozil is also like any other person, trying to make the most money out of his abilities before he heads into the twilight years of his career. We can compare Ozil’s playing style to that of basketball star James Harden who plays for the Houston Rockets. Just like Ozil, Harden is renowned for his playmaking abilities but his defensive contributions are low which is why the media have often criticised him. However, Harden still managed to cope with the criticism and was the MVP of the regular NBA season last term.
In comparison, Ozil has seen a change in landscape with Unai Emery coming in as the new Gunners boss this summer. The Spanish manager is known to press high up the pitch which doesn’t suit Ozil’s game. Hence, to the surprise of many, the German was not a part of Arsenal’s match-day squad for the league match against West Ham United last weekend. Maybe, it is the beginning of the end for the 29-year-old’s career in North London as Ozil has become a victim of ever-changing circumstances.
A Perfect Villain?
Another way to look at things would be to see it from an outsider’s point of view. There is no doubt about Ozil’s talent going forward. However, he has never shown the desire to make an effort when not in possession of the ball during his career. Hard work is something which any person can do if they have the right mentality and are motivated enough to do so. The German playmaker’s reluctance to change his game even though he is the highest paid player at the Emirates Stadium makes him a perfect villain.
Ozil performed immaculately in his first few years for Arsenal before threatening to leave on a free transfer so that he got a massive pay hike. However, after signing the new contract, his motivation to work hard for his team when things got tough, diminished. Now, he has become a perfect villain who is earning the big bucks even when he is not playing in Emery’s first XI.
Either way, it is looking quite likely that Ozil’s days at the North London club are numbered if things don’t change for the better soon.
