Arsenal: Mesut Ozil “illness” smells unshakably fishy

Arsenal were shockingly without Mesut Ozil against Burnley, and it shocked Arsene Wenger too. Am I alone in thinking this smells awfully fishy?

Arsenal had just disposed of Tottenham via the most beautiful display we have seen from this front three (and the team in general) in quite some time. Mesut Ozil was the centerpiece as he sliced up Spurs like a Thanksgiving turkey.

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It was all to be built upon with the team traveling up to Turf Moor to take on Burnley, a match that is always a bit nasty, because that’s just how Burnley play.

Everyone expected the same front three to be out there. They’ve only played together three of the first 13 matches of the season, after all. But it wasn’t the same front three, because Ozil, the key piece against Tottenham, was missing.

Arsene Wenger said after the match that it was a shock to him too. “I haven’t even seen him. The doctor came to see me and said he had to travel back home, he was in the hotel with us,” Le Prof said, via the Evening Standard.

He went on:

"“He travelled up with us, then travelled back. We brought Maitland-Niles up who arrived at 1pm because we had only 17 players. Will he be available for Wednesday? Certainly he will be short. We will see what it is exactly.”More from Pain in the Arsenal3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victoryArsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison ParkMikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win"

I’m not the kind of person that turns everything into a conspiracy theory, and I hate to do so here, but at this point, I can’t shake the feeling that this smells rather fishy. He traveled with the team, then left in the morning before Wenger could even see him, leaving the team short-handed?

I hope that more details emerge. But for Wenger to immediately rule him out for Wednesday has me suspicious too, because if Wenger hasn’t seen him and presumably hasn’t spoken to him either, then that seems a bit sudden.

Not just that, but it was brought to my attention that when Ozil was subbed off against Tottenham, he rather intentionally bypassed shaking Wenger’s hand, and only did so when directed to by the bench.

Again, I’m not here to outright say that Ozil is being vindictive, I don’t think that at all. But this unshakable thought ran right into Ian Wright expressing his belief that a move to Manchester Untied for the German maestro seemed almost a guarantee.

It’s just all a bit odd. Ozil has missed plenty of games due to sickness (a peculiar amount, since we are on the topic) but never like this. Never to the point that Wenger is told the morning of a match that Ozil has gone home.

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I want to be talked out of this thought. Someone out there tell me that I’m dead wrong and that all my suspicions are misplaced. If you agree with me, keep it to yourself (please). I want to believe that there is nothing to see here.