Arsenal: Dani Ceballos precisely what Mesut Ozil needs

Dani Ceballos has seemingly already made the Arsenal creative central midfield role his own. And that is precisely what Mesut Ozil needs: competition.

Mesut Ozil is the most talented player in the Arsenal squad. In fact, he is one of the most talented players in the Premier League and even the world. There are things that he can do with a football that very few people in history can do. And yet, for whatever reason, he never quite produces at the levels that he is capable of.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Dani Ceballos, the Best Player in the World

This, I believe, is where arguably the most divisive debate in football stems from. Those that are pro-Ozil choose to see the potential, the skill, the moments of pure brilliance and project them for the future; those that are anti-Ozil look at the brutal facts, his obscure absences, his lack of production and obvious faux-commitment and heighten their relevance.

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The truth probably lies somewhere in between these two extremes. Ozil is not as uninfluential as his haters would have you believe, neither does he boast the potential to impact future matches as greatly and consistently as his strongest supporters. But one thing is certain: should he finally figure out his talent and translate it into performance on the pitch, he would be a true asset to an Arsenal team in need of attacking ingenuity.

Ozil is yet to play this season. He looked noticeably rejuvenated in the pre-season, although he often does when PR opportunities like a trip Stateside abound, but thanks to safety concerns and sickness, he was not named in either matchday squad. That could well change this weekend, although it would be surprising to see him in the starting XI. The man that has taken his place is Dani Ceballos.

The Spaniard is a modern version of Ozil. He possesses the same creativity and passing quality in the final third, but like Kevin de Bruyne or Christian Eriksen and other modern-day attacking midfielders, he allies that with excellent dribbling skill and a tremendous work rate, willing press to high up the pitch and drop into deeper areas to both shield the back four and progress the play.

If Ozil wants to get back into the team, and I am sure he does, he will have to prove to Unai Emery that he is willing to work as Ceballos has in these opening two matches. His drifting around, non-committal pressing, and curious, seemingly random absences will no longer be tolerated. In the past, Ozil could get away with these things because Arsenal did not have any alternative options worthy of dropping him for. He was so much better than his teammates that he knew his place in the team was safe, no matter his effort levels. That is not the case with Ceballos.

This is precisely what Ozil needs to finally deliver on his talent. He needs to be pushed, challenged, internally competed with, such that he can no longer rest on his laurels. When he becomes complacent, he grows ineffective. But as long as Arsenal can stimulate him and challenge him, he could be a terrific asset to the team.

Whether Ozil will respond to the challenge Ceballos has laid down or not remains to be seen. But God knows, he was never going to produce his best without some form of response. Hopefully, then, Ceballos’ arrival can coax one out.