Arsenal Vs Chelsea: Mesut Ozil again shows who’s essential

Mesut Ozil was again phenomenal in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea on Wednesday night. He is continually reminding everyone of who is the essential one.

The narrative surrounding Mesut Ozil is a simple one: A talented but tardy player whose languid, lethargic style belies his true commitment; a soft, brittle attitude who droops into the background when the games matter most; a skilful, delightful footballer when all is rosy, but rosy is all but such a rare occurrence.

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For much of his playing days, that is a story with an element of accuracy. Certainly, there were times where Ozil would shrink in the limelight, shirking the challenge before him, not striding out as the leading individual that he should have been. But this season, though the broader footballing media may have you believe otherwise, it could not be further from the truth.

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Not only has Ozil has flourished under his responsibility in the ‘big games’ but he has acted very much like a spearhead for an Arsenal team that has limped its way through a packed festive period. Ozil, who had himself fluttered in and out of the team with an ailing knee injury, has been the catalyst on several occasions. The bluntness of the team in his absence is telling indeed.

And, again, throughout Wednesday night’s 2-1 second-leg semi-final win over Chelsea, Ozil again displayed his brilliance. He had 73 touches in total, which is not an especially high number. But he maintained a 95% pass completion rate, which is absolutely astonishing for any player, nevermind one in a role as advanced and creative as his. He also won three fouls, which is an underrated statistic due to the pressure it relieves off the defence, and he created four chances, which is more than any other player on the pitch not named Eden Hazard — Hazard also had four.

He may not have scored. He may not have even recorded an assist. But he was still a key contributor to the successes of the team, particularly in the second half. And his performance, like many others already this season, only proves how essential he is to this squad.

While the departure of Alexis Sanchez is undoubtedly a detrimental one to the progress of this club, his exit is far less damaging than that of Ozil. The German could well leave at the end of the season anyway, unless a new contract can be thrashed out between now and then. But Arsenal have time to identify a successor. And that is important; they are sure to need it.

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Ozil is playing as well as he has ever done. Replacing him will not be easy. Currently, he is utterly essential. Arsenal would be nowhere without him.