Arsenal Vs Crystal Palace: 5 things we learned - Slick, smooth football enthralls

5 of 5

LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 20: Mesut Ozil of Arsenal is challenged by Martin Kelly of Crystal Palace during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on January 20, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) /

1. Mesut Ozil is the heartbeat of this attack

Mesut Ozil had missed the last three Arsenal games with a knee injury. In those games, they scored a total of just three goals, two of which came against Championship side Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup. In the first game that he returns in, they scored four. That is no coincidence.

Ozil was the best player on the pitch, and it wasn’t all that close. His interplay with Jack Wilshere especially was just lovely to watch. Quick, one and two-touch passes, fluid movement, wonderful spatial and positional awareness, the intelligence and understanding of body positioning, of the defensive alignment, of how to work the angles to open up space in and around the penalty area.

Ozil was the oil in the Arsenal machine. His slick drifting knitted together what was otherwise disjointed darts, his passing provided both incision and control, his ability to push the envelope of the attack, not allowing it to grow stagnant or aimless, while also preserving possession and impressing his command of the match is extraordinary.

Next: Arsenal Vs Palace: Player ratings

Ozil is the heartbeat of this attack. It was evident against Palace. Let’s hope he’s the heartbeat for more than just a few fleeting months.

Arsenal Vs Crystal Palace: 5 things we learned – Slick, smooth football enthralls

By Andrew Dowdeswell | Jan 20, 2018

1. Mesut Ozil is the heartbeat of this attack