Arsenal: Mesut Ozil claim ambitious but perhaps accurate

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has heralded the technical and creative abilities of new Arsenal teammate Mesut Ozil, claiming that he is the best in the world at his position. It is an ambitious proclamation, but it may just be an accurate one.

Mesut Ozil is a remarkable footballer. Ever since he blossomed at the heart of a young and exciting Werder Bremen and Germany team, it was clear that his creative talents would lead him to the world stage. Little did we know that those talents would soon be pervading the ever-fortunate blades of the Emirates pitch.

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And while his reputation has always been a slightly tainted one, with many pointing to his languid, almost lethargic style as a sign of laziness, questioning his effort levels, his will to win, and scrutinising his often anonymous performances against the rest of the top six, especially away from home, his natural talent is difficult for his even his most vehement detractors to deny.

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It is quite a resume, and it has impressed his latest creative partner, Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The attacking midfielder, who matched Santi Cazorla’s Arsenal record of three assists in one game in his home debut, heralded the technical and creative abilities of Ozil, claiming that he is the best in the world at his position:

"“Everyone knows that Mesut is one of the best players in the world. It’s only happiness and joy to play next to him because he understands very well the football game, he has great vision, he has amazing technique and he’s the best in his position.”"

That is certainly a big claim to make. But it might just be true. Here are some statistics and achievements that hint at such a remarkable world standing.

Ozil has created more chances than any other in the Premier League since his debut. He has recorded more assists than any other player in the Premier League since his debut. He is the only player since his debut in 2006, to create more than 1,000 goalscoring chances in the top-five European leagues. Since August 2015, only Kevin de Bruyne and Lionel Messi have more assists in Europe’s top-five leagues.

In terms of the traits that Mkhitaryan highlights — vision, technique, understanding –, there are very few in the world that can rival Ozil’s qualities. He possesses them all at truly astonishing levels and allows them to show on a deceptively consistent basis. Now, the likes of Kevin de Bruyne or Luka Modric or David Silva may have an argument. But Ozil is undoubtedly in the conversation.

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That is what Mkhitaryan thinks, anyway, and he should know a good creator when he sees one.