Arsenal: Mesut Ozil absence sets the table for something else

Arsenal didn’t utilize Mesut Ozil at all against Bournemouth. While that is curious, it certainly sets the table for something else entirely.

My main point before the Bournemouth match was that Arsenal needed Mesut Ozil to keep doing what he had been doing in the past two matches. He had been playing a high-energy style as he attempted to find his best form and while it hadn’t come off, he was still finding effectiveness in his efforts alone.

That is hard to continue when you are sitting on the bench, as Ozil was at the Vitality. Along with missing out on Lacazette due to injury, Ozil did not feature for a second, with no injury reported, which was certainly curious, but also exciting.

In his stead, Iwobi and Mkhitaryan both got the start, with the former playing a solid match and the latter collapsing in epic proportions. So much so that I wonder if we will ever see him again (that’s an exaggeration, of course we will).

All the while, the question lingers: “What happened to Ozil?”

Alan Smith argues that Ozil was simply dropped because it’s hard to fit him into the new system; to find a place for him. I have a hard time believing that, because Ozil has been coming around lately.

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However, in the absence of any other theory, let’s assume that it’s true. All this does is wind up Ozil, and all Mkhitaryan’s collapse does is wind up Ozil even more. We know, from his reaction against Crystal Palace, that Ozil is more determined than ever to play, and to play as much as he can.

I can’t imagine that Ozil will start against Vorskla in midweek – maybe he will come on as a sub – but that compiles on the German going into the match against Tottenham. The crucial North London Derby, which might see Ozil raring and galvanized to put his best effort in and really stick it to our dearly loathed neighbors.

This may be thinking too much into it. Maybe Smith is right and Emery just had trouble justifying starting Ozil in the 3-4-3 set-up. But the result will still look much the same. As long as Ozil is who he is and the situation is what it is (spoiler alert: it is), then there should be a reaction.

Hopefully that reaction is powerful enough to pocket the Spurs, because the genius of Emery would grow tenfold.