Arsenal: Mesut Ozil The Oil In Gunners’ Slick Machinery

Mesut Ozil returned for Arsenal in the win over Swansea. The Gunners were immediately more slick in attacking areas, with the German oiling their machinery.

The recent weeks have produced many subpar performances. While wins over West Brom and Crystal Palace steadied a sinking ship after the two successive away losses to Everton and Manchester City, neither saw vintage Arsenal turn up, with Arsene Wenger’s side impersonating a spluttering, old engine, in desperate need of some oil.

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Since then, three lacklustre first half displays, the first sinking them into a three-goal hole against Bournemouth, the second was fraught with danger, leaving them 1-0 down at the break (and what should have been at least 3-0 down) away to middling Championship side Preston and the third just this Saturday in the eventual win over Swansea City, have rightly produced many doubts among the fanbase pertaining to the Gunners’ rhythm and fluency in possession, especially when up against an energetic, high-intensity midfield.

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The second half in the weekend’s 4-0 win, however, was utterly different and it’s primarily down to the return of one man. Wenger welcomed Mesut Ozil back into the fray against Swansea after two weeks on the sidelines with an ailing illness. The German has been a mainstay in the Arsenal side since joining on transfer deadline day in the summer of 2013.

His influence and his importance to this team has already been well publicised. There’s little that I can enlighten you to regarding the wonders of his touch, the subtlety of his movement and his vivid creativity and flair. His performance was just another example to add to many in a catalogue of smoothing, assuring displays.

Only Granit Xhaka attempted and completed more passes than Ozil. The German maestro maintained an 85% pass completion rate, completing 63 passes altogether, created two chances and even managed to win all of his tackles. While those stats are impressive, they do not paint the whole picture.

Ozil was instrumental in the first goal, playing a lovely one-two with Aaron Ramsey who, via the patience of Alexis Sanchez at the far post and a blocked Ozil header, eventually set up Olivier Giroud. Ozil then released Alex Iwobi for Arsenal’s third. After collecting the ball from Granit Xhaka’s sliding interception, with a first time pass straight into the feet of the young Nigerian, Ozil provided the winger with the perfect service to drive at the immediately retreating Swansea defence.

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Ozil was on song against Swansea, with little deft touches to set up attacks, patience and precision in possession, providing the team with metronomic creativity, rhythm and fluency. The spluttering engine jumped into life on Saturday and the return of Ozil, the oil in the Arsenal machine, could well jump-start a faltering title challenge,