Arsenal and Mesut Ozil: The resurgence of a midfield maestro?

Mesut Ozil is facing a career-defining season. After five years of underwhelming play, here is why the Arsenal midfield maestro might be in for a resurgence

In his latest press conference, Arsenal head coach Unai Emery gave us some encouraging news regarding the safety concerns of Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac. Emery stated that both players are ‘100% mentally prepared.’ This comes after two shocking incidents that placed the players’ safety in peril; the issue was so serious it prompted the club to omit the pair from the squad that travelled to Newcastle last Sunday.

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This type of situation — unprovoked attacks on one’s very livelihood — presents a dilemma only truly understood by those in it. A nightmarish event that makes one fear for their safety, day in and day out, can often result in one of two things: an individual may sink into an abyss of uncertainty and fear (reasonably so given the severity of the situation), or they may compartmentalize the issue and rise to the top. What Ozil and Kolasinac will do, well, only time will tell, but in the face of last season, in spite of the criticism, and in defiance of attacks on his life, the talent may shine through, especially in the case of the German.

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Ozil can be frustrating at times. Recently, it feels like those annoyances come more often than not. Indeed, it would be fair if you argued that last season was his worst. Nevertheless, the cream usually rises to the top. Even at his ‘worst’, Ozil still completed the most key passes per game of all Arsenal players in the Premier League. He may have only ended the season with two assists, but the underlying creativity was still present. The juxtaposition of these two realities shows that last season was more an indictment of his teammates’ ability to finish than of Ozil’s ability to create.

These stats are not wholly convincing, however. All you had to do was watch Ozil last season to see that he was not as effective as previous years — and this all without considering the number of games he missed due to curious injuries. Nevertheless, while the numbers may be a little shallow, a sense of excitement grows when considering the talent that now surrounds Ozil, especially in the front three positions.

Arsenal finally equipped themselves with big guns in the attacking positions. They boast an explosive frontline of Pierre-Emerick Aubmeyang, Alexandre Lacazette, and now Nicolas Pepe, each of which were club-record signings at the time they were made. On paper, this is firepower that rivals the best in the Premier League.

For Ozil to flourish, new signing Pepe must prove instrumental. The £72 million man has the potential to unlock his maestro-like qualities. After years of playing behind forwards who seldom read the game at his level, Ozil finally has a trio of ruthless finishers at his disposal. In an attack set to annihilate defenses this season, Pepe is the final weapon, and Ozil is the man to feed him.

Take Arsenal’s ball movement. This year,  it seems to be based around a fluid progression through each third of the pitch. In the 4-3-3 that Emery will likely employ, the wingers have been instructed to make inverted runs from outside to in with the full-backs providing the width, all the while looking to exploit space in behind the opposing defence. This is all in a constant attempt to disrupt defensive formations and create opportunities for other forward runs.

With Aubameyang’s adept movement and Pepe’s killer instinct to spin inside from the right-wing, Arsenal will be far less stagnant and more unpredictable. This perpetual movement is perfect for someone like Ozil, who has the vision, intelligence and creativity to exploit this interchanging movement. His innate capacity to thread the final pass will be accentuated by those around him.

This is Ozil’s territory. He not only finds space; he creates it for the players around him. The German’s shrewd ability to find and occupy space is rivalled only by the quality of his passing. It is safe to say, despite his shortcomings, Ozil is undoubtedly the most talented creator in the squad, and the quality of the front three should prove enough to lure out that talent.

All things considered, the only certainty is that the limits of Ozil’s mental resolve will truly be tested. My primary wish is that his mental health normalize. But once he returns to the pitch, everything is there for him to flourish. He now just needs to deliver.