Arsenal: Mesut Ozil can’t be the odd one out, can he?

Arsenal’s attack looked rather sharp with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette leading the line. Mesut Ozil can’t be the odd one out, can he?

When Arsenal acquired Henrikh Mkhitaryan in a trade for Alexis Sanchez and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for a club-record £56 million fee in the January transfer window, one of the most puzzling questions was how they would fit with the current attacking options in the squad.

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Primarily, the problem rested on whether it is possible to squeeze both Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang into the same team that already boasts Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette, players that play similar positions and in similar styles to those just recruited. Without majorly upsetting the balance of the team, it seemed impossible to field all four at the same time. And so it has transpired.

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There has not yet been a minute of football in which all four have been on the pitch at the same time. There are some mitigating circumstances as to that eventuality. Aubameyang cannot play in the Europa League, Mkhitaryan cannot play in the EFL Cup, Lacazette missed two months after undergoing knee surgery, Mkhitaryan also missed a few weeks with a knee problem. But even so, the fact that they have not played together whatsoever since their January arrivals certainly suggests that it is difficult to play all four in the same team.

And on Sunday afternoon, we saw our latest iteration of a front three, Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang flanking Lacazette. Ozil, concerningly, was nowhere to be seen, which is extremely poor form from the German considering this was Arsene Wenger’s final game at the Emirates. Nevertheless, without Ozil, the triumvirate of Mkhitaryan, Lacazette and Aubameyang looked extremely sharp.

Aubameyang, twice, and Lacazette both notched goals and an assist, with Lacazette’s cross-come-shot flashing across the six-yard box for Aubameyang to slide in to open the scoring, while Mkhitaryan was wonderful in a roaming, right-wing role, creatively pulling the proverbial strings, laying on three chances for his teammates and frequently sliding his way into the cracks of the Burnley defence.

And the performance raises a question of Ozil’s utility. I have long been a proponent of his quality. I believe he is a truly unique player that should be cherished, protected, and put in a position to flourish. However, this display, without Ozil and with this trio of new attackers, was telling. Arsenal did not miss him. At all.

Could Ozil, then, end up being the odd one out when the new manager comes to squeezing these four attacking individuals into the same team? When the question was first posed, I don’t think many people had Ozil to be the to drop out. But as concerns regarding his commitment and now his production rise, perhaps he just might be.

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Obviously, this all rests on the thinking of the new manager, something that we cannot speculate until we know who that is. So until that announcement, it is a little futile to try and solve the problem that Ozil presents. But the problem is still there, and it is one that could drastically shape the new manager’s reign.