Arsenal: Mesut Ozil resurrection Mikel Arteta’s greatest trick
Mesut Ozil has been revived under new head coach Mikel Arteta, so much so that he is resurrecting his Arsenal career. It is Arteta’s greatest trick.
Such is his talent and natural ability, whenever a new manager has taken the reins at Arsenal, one of the first questions asked of them is how they will use Mesut Ozil. The German is one of the most contentious individuals in world football. Intensely supported by ‘fanboys’, heavily criticised by those who highlight his apparent laziness and disinterest, there is a great range and divide in opinion on Ozil and his impact on the team.
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Unai Emery never got on with him. The rift between the two was perhaps overblown in the media and Emery did give Ozil ample opportunity to prove himself — many of Ozil’s more biased supporters would not admit as much — but Ozil could have done more under Emery. For whatever reason, the two were never fully compatible and happy with one another.
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When Mikel Arteta arrived to succeed Emery in December, he said that Ozil would be handed a ‘clean slate’. Ozil would have to adapt to Arteta’s approach and there would be little mercy if he did not work hard, but Arteta was willing to give Ozil the same opportunity that Emery handed him. The difference? Both Arteta’s system and coaching were more effective and impressive than Emery’s and Ozil chose to bow to his new manager’s demands, rather than resist them.
In fact, this week, Ozil spoke extensively about how Arteta has revitalised the entire dressing room and provided him with a greater tactical freedom to get the best out of him:
"“These are the things that he is working on with us and you can see it – everyone is smiling, laughing, enjoying their time at the moment and this has made us be successful now. We are really enjoying everything at the moment. You can see we have a structure on the pitch now. Everyone knows what their job is on the pitch and we are very happy to have won these two games [against United and Leeds] <…> As a playmaker, I need a lot of space. His playing style allows me to get that space and it is so important to be successful.”"
Arteta’s management of Ozil has been excellent. There has been the tactical input to put Ozil in advantageous positions to make the most of his ability. Playing in the half-space between the right-winger and centre-forward, Ozil has vast spaces to drift between, to receive the ball on the half-space, and then turn forwards and thread testing passes into more advanced teammates.
He has been at the heart of Arsenal’s attacking play under Arteta. Per Orbinho, Ozil has created 26 Premier League chances this season, the most of any player in the squad. Only 11 of those have come from open play, however, but of those 11, five have come in the three games under Arteta. In those three matches, Ozil played 90 minutes only once.
More impressive, though, Ozil has worked hard out of possession. He made 10 ball recoveries in the win over Manchester United, more than any other player on the pitch, and ranked in the top five in the Premier League for pressures and defensive actions in the offensive half for all games played in the New Years Day gameweek.
Arteta has revitalised Ozil. This is an utterly new version of the midfielder, and Arsenal are the most welcome benefactors.