There was one thing that most people failed to notice during Arsenals 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Both Arsenal goals were scored without their creative midfielder Mesut Ozil on the pitch.
The German was subbed off in the 3rd minute and two minutes later, ten-man Arsenal was level. The match highlighted Mikel Arteta’s tactical nous but also the fading influence of Mesut Ozil.
The German World Cup-winning midfielder has not scored a goal this season in all competitions. Mesut Ozil specializes in assists but sadly for him, he has two this season in all competitions. one came from a corner in the league while the other was against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
That Mikel Arteta opted to sub off the highest-paid player in the league against Chelsea tells you all you need to know about Ozil. He is simply past his best and the sooner he is out of the club the better for all parties involved.
At the moment, the player is more of a liability than an asset at Arsenal. His stature demands that itis not hard to drop him but yet again, his contributions to the team points to him being a bench player at best.
At 32 years of age, he is physically fading and despite his improved world rate under Arteta, it’s clear he is not up to the task. Besides, not many teams play with a traditional number 10 in the modern game.
Mesut Ozil is a fantastic footballer that has never been in doubt. However, for Arsenal to move forward as a team, he needs to be dropped from the starting line up.