Arsenal: One intangible keeping Henrikh Mkhitaryan over Ozil

Arsenal brought in Henrikh Mkhitaryan last January and, with it, gave Mesut Ozil a run for his money, but one thing keeps the former over the latter.

Arsenal‘s creative attacking midfield was supposed to be one of the pillars that kept the club propped up during the transitional phases of the Unai Emery takeover. Just like the strikers. However, unlike the strikers, they have failed to live up to their end of the bargain.

Specifically, I am talking about the “Fab Four,” because it never really did take flight, but for one half of the foursome.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette have combined for 28 goals and ten assists. That’s 38 goal contributions across two people, which is pretty damn “Fab.”

Meanwhile, the other have, Mkhitaryan and Ozil, have combined for eight goals and five assists, also known as a measly 13 goal contributions. That’s less than half of that the other “pillars” have put up, which makes them not so “Fab.”

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Ozil has paid the consequences. he’s fallen off the wagon, he is never used, sometimes it’s because of an injury, but how do you get hurt if you don’t play? No matter when he is used, he doesn’t impress, there looks to be no fight left in him.

Mkhitaryan has been out for two months now, but he comes back, looks sharp, and, despite the downfalls we’ve seen in the past, and the ones we will likely see at some point in the future, there is one thing that Mkhitaryan has that keeps him continually ahead of Mesut Ozil – and that is something that will never change.

It’s the fact that Mkhitaryan doesn’t quit. And if you want an example. Look at the second goal against Huddersfield. Mkhitaryan lost the ball in an attacking position and his momentum continued, carrying him past where he left the ball.

Rather than quit, which Ozil does more times than not, he didn’t quit. He went back and won the ball back and bam, the second goal. Which proved pretty important given the late goal that would have pulled the match level had Mkhitaryan quit on that ball and not hounded after it.

He hasn’t been perfect, and I’m not exactly saying we shouldn’t consider selling him in the summer, but he’s got a hell of a better chance of making a go of it than Ozil does, simply because of that one trait that he’s always had.