Arsenal Vs Manchester City: Rotation and Mesut Ozil an improving match

Mesut Ozil again went missing against a top-six side away from him during Arsenal’s loss to Manchester City on Sunday. The German and rotation are becoming an increasingly good match.

Manchester City were by far the better team on Sunday afternoon. As expected, their superior passing, their fluid and intelligent movement in midfield areas, and the demands of their manager led to them dominating possession. But that wasn’t a surprise. In fact, Arsenal knew going into the game that that was probable. It was what they did with that possession that was so impressive.

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City had the composure and the quality to carve open their visitors time and time again. Although the final pass was often a little wayward, lacking in precision or connection, the openings were nonetheless there.

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One of the primary reasons for that was the time and space that they were afforded in deeper areas. When Arsenal pressed them, they struggled to work their way through the phases of the play, with the pressure forcing errant passes and loose first touches. But when the Gunners sat off, City, because of their passing dominance, had the ability to pull them in and out of their positions.

When Arsenal travelled to Chelsea earlier in the season, they did not struggle with the same issues. There are many reasons for this, from the quality of the opposition to the execution of the players. But one key difference in the two team selections was the presence, or lack thereof, of Mesut Ozil.

The front three against Chelsea was Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck and Alexandre Lacazette; the front three against City was Alex Iwobi, Ozil, and Alexis Sanchez, who was, essentially, stationed in the same, central striking role as Lacazette was at Stamford Bridge. The key difference, then, was Ozil for Welbeck.

And these type of games, where Arsenal have less of the ball, sit deep, track runners throughout the pitch, and then look to counter, suit Welbeck far more than they do Ozil. As an athletic, industrious, pacy winger who has the willingness to track back and undertake his defensive responsibilities and the ability to burn the defence on the break, Welbeck fits a counter-attacking strategy perfectly. Ozil does not.

Ozil’s game requires on regular and consistent touches of the football. He needs to be heavily involved as frequently as possible, always probing, always pushing the envelope, always testing and creating and risking and inventing. When Wenger demands that his side sit deep and soak up the pressure, Ozil is not afforded that luxury.

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The time may have come for Ozil to be dropped for these type of games. He just doesn’t suit them. For £42 million, that is frustrating and disappointing. But it is true. Rotation should be the way forward.