Stick or twist: Should Mikel Arteta bring Mesut Ozil back in from the cold?
Stick or twist: Should Mikel Arteta bring Mesut Ozil back in from the cold as the Gunners' struggles in the Premier League continues?
Whether he is on the pitch or sat in the stands, Mesut Ozil is never far from the conversation around the Emirates.
Having been overlooked for Mikel Arteta’s Premier League squad for the start of the current campaign, the 32-year-old has had a watching brief as the Gunners have struggled to find the net in the Premier League.
Arsenal have only found the net ten times in their eleven league matches so far this season, with Sunday’s 2-0 North London Derby defeat to Tottenham the latest lowest ebb of a dismal campaign to date.
The former Real Madrid man has made it clear that he would like to stay at the Emirates after his current deal runs out this summer, although Arsenal may be tempted to cash in on the German in the January transfer window – if anyone is willing to buy him.
With the boss allowed to reassign squad members in the new year, could the return of Ozil be the final piece in the puzzle for the Spaniard, as he searches for the winning formula?
So often used as a scapegoat during his seven years plying his trade at the Emirates, it was so easy to overlook the quality that the German possessed, with his vision and array of passing often so crucial in the final third for the Gunners.
54 assists from his 184 Premier League appearances speaks for itself, and that total would be even higher if he had been given more game time in the last couple of years.
Having been overlooked for Mikel Arteta’s Premier League squad for the start of the current campaign, the 32-year-old has had a watching brief as the Gunners have struggled to find the net in the Premier League.
Arsenal have only found the net ten times in their eleven league matches so far this season, with Sunday’s 2-0 North London Derby defeat to Tottenham the latest lowest ebb of a dismal campaign to date.
The former Real Madrid man has made it clear that he would like to stay at the Emirates after his current deal runs out this summer, although Arsenal may be tempted to cash in on the German in the January transfer window – if anyone is willing to buy him.
With the boss allowed to reassign squad members in the new year, could the return of Ozil be the final piece in the puzzle for the Spaniard, as he searches for the winning formula?
The case for the defence
You’re the best player in the world when you aren’t in the team, as the old adage goes. And at a time where the creativity of the Arsenal frontline seems as lacking as ever, is it the ingenuity of Mesut Ozil that it is missing?So often used as a scapegoat during his seven years plying his trade at the Emirates, it was so easy to overlook the quality that the German possessed, with his vision and array of passing often so crucial in the final third for the Gunners.
54 assists from his 184 Premier League appearances speaks for itself, and that total would be even higher if he had been given more game time in the last couple of years.
Even the most ardent of anti-Ozil supporters will admit that the guile and trickery of the ex-Werder Bremen man will have been a step up from what has been on display this season, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette feeding off scraps in the final third.
It’s not just on the field that the playmaker has proved himself to be an exemplary figure, as he offered to pay the wages of Jerry Quy - better known as the man inside the Gunnersaurus costume - when the club cut costs earlier in the year.
Not that his generosity should pave the way for his return to the team, but it is a sign of what this club means to him, and this poor run of form probably affects him just as much as anyone at the club at the moment.
The view from the other side
That said, it is hard to see Mikel Arteta going back on his original decision back in October, with too many bridges being burned for the playmaker to be offered a reprieve.With the German not having played in the Premier League since March, it looks highly unlikely that the Spaniard will choose to have him in his side for however long his tenure lasts at the Emirates, but how long that could be is anybody’s guess as things stand.
With the goals still not coming, it looks to be a matter of who will blink first. Will Ozil still be at the club by the time summer comes around, and will Arteta still be at the helm in despite resisting the urge to play him?
Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith believes something about the situation isn’t right, with a return to the starting XI looking like a forlorn hope for the Gunners stalwart.
“Do I see Ozil returning to the team? No, I can't see it. Too much has gone on behind the scenes for Arteta to be able to trust him again,” Smith said.
“I think he feels he's been let down by Ozil at times, where the player has not been available when he thought he would be.
“If you don't trust a player, it's a big problem. It was a big thing to do not to put him in the squad, a huge statement, and I just can't see him coming back into the frame.”
We can all see that the Gunners are calling out for a creative midfielder to break down defences, and rather than splash the cash, the solution might well be right there in front of their faces.
But a return for the German looks to be wishful thinking at best, as the most creative footballer at the club continues to sit on the sidelines without so much as a sniff of getting on the pitch.
Picture credit: Getty Images
