Arsenal: Please applaud the showman, Mesut Ozil

Arsenal’s 5-1 win over PSG may have validated Arsene Wenger’s point about Mesut Ozil – give the man your love, and he will return it.

Arsenal have spent five years trying to figure out Mesut Ozil. No one will ever question how good he is, but many will correct that statement and instead say “how good he can be.”

I wouldn’t argue. Ozil is one of the best in the world at what he does, but the trick has been getting him to do that magic consistently, such that we don’t have to question each match whether or not he is going to be at his best.

We saw his best when he knocked home 19 assists, but even that season was polarizing. The first half was unbelievable, the second was average. The mystery of Mesut Ozil rages on.

With a new, long-term deal in hand, Ozil has more time to prove himself. More time to enjoy his football and security to stay at a top team for what may end up being the rest of his relevance.

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And while it may be too little too late, Arsene Wenger offered a hypothesis regarding what it takes to get the best out of Ozil – he needs support.

Initially, I said tough luck. You’re not going to get the support you need by asking for it. You have to earn it, and while you could say that Ozil has, fans are a finicky sort. They want immediate gratification, which Ozil isn’t always able to provide.

And then we saw what he did in Singapore, with a roaring fan backing him against PSG. Every time Ozil touched the ball, the entire stadium lost their minds. And in turn, Ozil gave them – and all of us watching from home – a show.

Does that prove what Wenger was saying? Well, not entirely, but it’s certainly a start. And the best part about this is that, with Unai Emery in charge of a brand new era, you can bet that fans are going to be a hell of a lot more optimistic than they have been in the past few years.

Meaning that the support that Ozil needs may be right around the corner.

I’ve always maintained that getting the best out of Ozil should be a top priority, but if that is literally up to the fans, then let’s give it to him. Hell, the reward will be well worth it.