Arsenal: Mesut Ozil has no more excuses now

Mesut Ozil was phenomenal in Arsenal’s 2-0 dismantling of Spurs on Saturday. But the peaks and troughs of his form can no longer be reasoned. He has run out of excuses.

There were many reasons to be excited after Arsenal’s North London derby win. The pride that exudes as a result of dispatching your nearest and bitterest rival. The hauling to within one point of a title and top-four challenger. The performance itself. The result. The positive atmosphere that fell on the Emirates with the win. These are just some of the many wonderful consequences of Saturday’s game.

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However, while all of those were splendid to see and feel and encounter, for me, there was no more joy-giving event or performance or deed than the individual display of Mesut Ozil.

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The German suits the free-roaming inside-right role that he has been unleashed into ever since Arsene Wenger chose to implement the 3-4-3 system that Antonio Conte harnessed to have the same effect with Eden Hazard at Chelsea. His spatial awareness, his game intelligence, his positional nuance, and his subtlety of movement all amount to that much. And they came to the fore against Spurs.

Incessantly and infectionately, Ozil was able to find pockets of space in between the Spurs’ midfield and defence. He prodded and probed his way through Tottenham, sliding passes into channels, pulling defenders into and out of their positions, controlling and creating and carving his way forward. It was a brilliant attacking performance. But what Ozil did with the ball pales in comparison to what he did without the ball.

Ozil, more than I can remember in any Arsenal game, worked extremely hard. Working in a triumvirate with Alexis Sanchez and Alexandre Lacazette, he pressed onto the three Spurs’ centre-halves, forcing errant passes, recovering possession, and ensuring that Arsenal persisted to play on the front foot throughout.

He also tracked back. There was one moment in particular when Christian Eriksen burst through the midfield zone, driving at a somewhat exposed defence. Ozil put his head down, drove his legs, recovered his position and won back the ball. He would proceed to play a pass back to Petr Cech and allow his team to begin building towards another attack.

It was this new-found commitment and desire that Ozil has not shown in the past. Not only did he play with great quality, but he played with great character and passion. He worked hard. He was industrious. He was disciplined. These are traits that Ozil has not frequently shown in the past. It is now the level that he must reach time and time again.

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Ozil is out of excuses. The peaks and troughs of not only his form but his want are unacceptable.