Arsenal Vs Burnley: If there is a time to play Mesut Ozil…

Arsenal head coach Unai Emery stated that Mesut Ozil is available for Saturday’s match against Burnley. While there are doubts over his fit with the team, if there is a match in which you are going to play him, at home against Burnley would be it.

The safety concerns of Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac are horrible news stories unlike any other that I have ever really come across. Footballers are targetted by criminals because of their fame and their money, but I have never seen two players held out of a match due to worries about their safety in a match in this country.

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Nevertheless, this week, Unai Emery confirmed that they have returned to training and are mentally prepared to play against Burnley on Saturday lunchtime. Forgetting the personal and safety element for a minute, however, a question must be asked of Ozil: Would he get into the Arsenal team anyway?

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Emery wants to play with a more modern midfield, one that has three more orthodox central midfielders, providing the foundation for a pacy, direct, prolific front three. Think the system that Jurgen Klopp has developed at Liverpool in recent seasons. Does a floating, creative but somewhat lazy Ozil fit into this style? He does not have the speed or dribbling ability to play on the wing; he also lacks the discipline and engine to play deeper.

As a result, it is very fair to question where he fits into Emery’s plans, if it all — incidentally, with reports suggesting that he could make move to D.C. United in MLS, Emery quickly shot down any questions asking about the possibility of Ozil leaving this summer in his press conference on Thursday. But if there is a game that Ozil is able to feature heavily in, it is Burnley at home.

Burnley are a dangerous team. They should not be merely lumped in as a bottom-dweller in the Premier League, someone for Arsenal to simply sweep by. But given their natural defensive disposition and the fact that they are away from home against a superior team, it is not unreasonable to expect Sean Dyche to set his team up in a bunkering manner, putting the onus on the home team to break down their rigid structure.

Consequently, Arsenal will likely dominate possession. They have the better midfield and should be able to control the game, but can they then take advantage of that foundation that is provided and unlock what is a very stubborn and well-organised defence? While having three more orthodox central midfielders on the pitch provides greater balance, does it take away from the attacking creativity and ingenuity of the team?

The types of games that Ozil tends to flourish in are those in which he can have a lot of touches of the ball, especially in the final third. He likes to prod and probe, to drift from pocket to pocket, attempting to parse open space for teammates to exploit before he releases cute, through passes and dangerous crosses into the box. But for this type of player to be effective, the team must dominate the ball.

On Saturday, Arsenal will almost certainly have extended periods of secure and controlled possession. But can they make the most of it? If they want to, they may well need Ozil on the pitch.