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Arsenal: Shining Mesut Ozil Exposes Winter Weakness
Mesut Ozil was sensational in a ruthless second half display in Arsenal’s win over West Ham on Wednesday. Such success, though, exposes his winter weakness.
What an important win that was for Arsenal. After a nervy 2-2 draw against Manchester City on Sunday stemmed the down-heartening tide of depression that their recent poor form has inspired, dismantling West Ham United to the tune of three expertly crafted second-half goals was most refreshing.
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The man who was at the heart of much of the Gunners’ attacking play in the second half was Mesut Ozil. The German has been heavily criticised for his recent displays, especially for the apathetic showings in the two 5-1 losses to Bayern Munich. But he was far improved on Wednesday night, demonstrating glimpses that he is re-finding his creative best.
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When asked about Ozil’s excellent performance, Arsene Wenger revealed that he felt the German had taken the exit from the Champions League badly and that it had affected his performances in the ensuing matches. Speaking to media, Wenger stated:
"“I feel that he is back physically. He is focused. I know him quite well. He was hit hard by us going out in the Champions League – it took some time for him to recovery mentally. He has really been focused in training in last few weeks. We live in world of extremes. We are always praised too much when it goes well and too much [criticism] when it doesn’t.”"
Such comments, though, alongside Ozil’s sudden resurgence do allude to a huge weakness in his game. This, his fourth season since moving to North London, is yet another in which he has gone missing during the nitty and gritty of the winter. Ozil, quite simply, is not consistent enough for any side to anchor their Premier League hopes on.
Contrast him to Eden Hazard, for example, who is well on his way to inspiring Chelsea’s second league title in three years, and it is clear to see that, while Ozil, when playing well, when probing opposition defences, when getting on the ball frequently and pulling the proverbial strings, is a phenomenally gifted player, he does not boast the winning attitude to perform day in, day out that is needed to win a title.
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His exceptional performance that hinted at a return to his best form on Wednesday night only continued to highlight the many months during which he was substantially below par. Ozil must become a consistent attacking force if Arsenal are to ever win the Premier League with him at the heart of it, and that seems like an ambitious dream rather than a hopeful reality.