Arsenal: Can Mesut Ozil be as bad as Unai Emery is making it seem?

Arsenal’s creativity was the problem against Manchester City, and this isn’t the first time. Is Meut Ozil really so poor that this is beyond even him?

Arsenal‘s toothless defeat to Manchester City had two major themes – individual mistakes did us in, and chance creation has become the one thing this club can’t do, when it was supposed to be the one thing they could do.

You’ve heard the stats by now – the club created zero chances in the second half and just four in the first. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had one shot and Alexandre Lacazette managed none. Our two wide midfielders, Sead Kolasinac and Alex Iwobi, combined for zero chances created and when we brought in Aaron Ramsey and Denis Suarez for the second half, they matched that tally.

There was nothing there, not a thing. Now, Kolasinac had a decent game besides that, and I don’t hold anything against Suarez. But really, four different players across 90 minutes and none of them could create a single chance?

I know I’ve done a lot of criticizing Mesut Ozil and whatever the hell is going on with his situation here at the Emirates, but can he really be so bad, and so out of touch with the current club and with Unai Emery, that he can’t even see the pitch in a match where we create four chances all game?

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Here’s the thing. Sure, it was Manchester City, and they’re tough. But so is Arsenal, believe it or not, and we saw that in the other theaters of play. Throw out some individual mistakes and we’re right in that match, despite not creating a lick of anything.

And that said, this isn’t the first time it’s happened. Remember West Ham? Another toothless match. Only seven chances created in that one, and two had to come from Ramsey being subbed on late.

You know I’m desperate when I start wondering if Ozil isn’t a better solution than what we’ve been working with. If anything, the No. 1 reason I always criticize him is because he only does one thing – create chances.

Well that’s the only thing this club currently needs to be competing in every match. So is it really so crazy to politely ask if maybe we can give Ozil another look?

And no, this doesn’t qualify as waffling or flip-flopping, because it’s made in total desperation. Unless Denis Suarez plans on doing it all himself.