Rewind 17 months to Mesut Ozil’s first Champions League game at the Emirates Stadium and the only possible conclusion was that Arsenal had signed a player that could elevate them back into Europe’s elite.
Napoli were the opponents and their manager Rafael Benitez was gracious enough to conclude that the 2-0 scoreline was actually more flattering to his beaten players than what he called their “perfect” opponents.
Ozil was the difference that night, scoring one and creating another to continue what had been an excellent start to his Arsenal career. How Arsene Wenger must crave a performance of similar stature tonight from a player who, at £42.5 million, remains the second most expensive in the history of English football.
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The blunt truth is that Ozil, while still more effective than many would have you believe, has not scaled that same peak since. Indeed, he has played in nine further Champions League games without scoring and contributed only two more assists.
Mesut Ozil: Premier League v Champions League
| | Premier League | Champions League |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 40 | 11 |
| Mins played | 3,314 | 896 |
| Goals | 8 | 1 |
| Mins per goal | 414.25 | 896 |
| Shots on target | 27 | 4 |
| Shots off target | 14 | 3 |
| Assists | 14 | 3 |
| Chances created | 112 | 26 |
| Passes made | 2,421 | 551 |
| Tackles made | 36 | 10 |
| Tackles won | 26 | 5 |
Most crucially of all, when it really mattered in the knockout ties against Bayern Munich last season and Monaco three weeks ago, he was peripheral. For a player of his qualities and past record – he made 94 goals for Real Madrid and Germany in the three years before he joined Arsenal – that is clearly disappointing.
It also falls short of his Premier League record since joining Arsenal. In that time, he has averaged more than an assist or a goal in every other game (totalling 22 in 40 Arsenal matches).
The sample of European matches is admittedly still small and makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions but what we can see from Ozil’s contributions with Real Madrid and Germany is how his influence is linked with the options around him.
Ozil is the high quality oil in a slick and effective attacking machine but he needs to be surrounded by players like Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud or Danny Welbeck to provide the basic engine.
Mesut Ozil was largely a peripheral figure in the first leg against Monaco (Credit: REX FEATURES)
That is what makes the next period in Arsenal’s season so interesting and potentially profitable. Wenger finally now has just about all his best attacking options at his disposal, including the potential conductor in Ozil. It is no coincidence that Arsenal’s upsurge in form has coincided with his recent return from injury.
The debate that surrounds Ozil often lacks nuance. Yes, he has delivered less than he first promised but he has still made Arsenal a better team and his best years should now be in front of him.
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The two major injuries he has suffered in his first 18 months in English football also cannot just be dismissed as an irrelevance. Wenger clearly feels that perceptions of Ozil have been unfairly flavoured by his body language and general style.
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He will tell you to look carefully at Arsenal’s best passages of attacking play and see how often Ozil is involved with a vital pass, even if it is not a direct assist or goal. He does rarely lose possession and, as Wenger repeatedly notes, seldom chooses the wrong option.
Mesut Ozil was prolific in scoring and creating goals during his time at Real Madrid (Credit: REUTERS)
Ozil’s quietly diligent performance in the World Cup final also rather debunks the myth that he is somehow afraid of the biggest stage. Yet none of this is to argue that Ozil should not be delivering much more in the coming months and years for Arsenal.
Arsenal dug themselves a giant hole at The Emirates Stadium three weeks ago but the one small glint of light is the depth of the opportunity that they now have.
Coupled with their domestic form, overturning such a seemingly impossible position would send a surge of momentum and self-belief through the club that could be pivotal in the team’s development. The task is clearly huge but, should Ozil recapture the heights he touched against Napoli last season, it is still feasible.
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