Arsenal: Mesut Ozil must make himself fit

Mesut Ozil was dropped again for Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday. Unai Emery has proved that the German must make himself fit. He will not be pandered around anymore.

Mesut Ozil was hauled off midway through the second half of Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Wolves prior to the international break. He had been largely ineffective prior to that point. He was then dropped entirely for Sunday’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth, not even sent to warm up in the second half.

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It is clear that Unai Emery is not especially convinced by Ozil and his value to the team. Why that may be has not yet been made evident, at least not to the external observer. But something is going, that much is certain.

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The problem for Ozil, however, is that the onus is now on him to prove himself useful to Emery, not the other way round. Under Arsene Wenger, there was a prior loyalty between manager and player. Wenger knew the warts and shortcomings of Ozil and was willing to ride them, knowing that those bumps in the road would deliver great attacking returns at key points in the season. And Ozil knew that Wenger was happy to accommodate him despite these problems.

Emery is not nearly as merciful as Wenger, though. Emery wants his players to execute precisely how he commands them to. He leaves far little space for artistry and creativity. He prefers structured plays that take advantage of designed spaces and angles based on the position of the play, the shape of the defence, and the point in the game. Ozil does not really fit into that approach.

But because Emery has no prior loyalties or preconceptions, good or bad, of Ozil, it is on the German creator to illustrate that he is able to play as Emery demands. Does he have the required discipline, the commitment, the willingness to press, and the humility, to bow to Emery’s style?

From an Arsenal perspective, there is a worry in regards Ozil’s replacements. Henrikh Mkhitaryan looks completely lost, ruined by Jose Mourinho, Alex Iwobi is young and inconsistent, though has been in promising form this season, and Aaron Ramsey will leave at the end of the year. And even of these three players, in terms of sheer talent, Ozil is far better.

So, while Emery will take a hard line with Ozil, it could be a stance that not only hurts Ozil’s prospects at the Emirates but also the team, at least in the short-term. Emery is building a project in north London. He cares for more than just picking the best team for the here and now. But it would be going some for him to find a more gifted, higher-potential creator than Ozil.

Nevertheless, Emery has shown that settling this stalemate will be up to Ozil, not him. Ozil must prove himself worthy and valuable, and thus far, he is failing.