What exactly is wrong with Mesut Ozil at Arsenal this season?

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Mesut Ozil has yet to sign a new contract at Arsenal, with his current deal set to expire in 2018. However, it is his form on the pitch that will be a greater concern at the moment as he is struggling to impact matches in the way that he was last season. At the age of 28, the German international should be entering the peak years of his career, but his form this season will be a disappointment to both the club and the player personally. Arsene Wenger spoke after the Hull City match and stated that Ozil was suffering from a lack of confidence.

“I felt he did not feel confident against Hull. It’s always a problem because you think he can deliver something special but it’s true that technically he missed things that he is not used to.”

There has been a change in Ozil’s style this season and it isn’t clear whether that is due to a change in Arsenal’s system or more of a personal choice. The German is averaging more shots per ninety minutes this season (1.6) than last season (1.39), with this leading to more goals per ninety (0.24 to 0.18). The 28-year-old would have been looking to score more goals this season and he is making progress in that part of his game. However, where his shooting stats have improved, his level of creativity has proven inferior.

Last season, Ozil recorded one of the best creative seasons since Opta started recording stats. It was always going to be a difficult act to follow, but he will be disappointed by how much they have decreased this year. During the 2015/16 campaign, Ozil averaged 3.71 key passes, 0.56 assists and 4.27 chances created per ninety minutes. He was playing some exceptional football and found himself regarded as one of the best number tens in the world. However, this season he has averaged 2.66 key passes, 0.19 assists and 2.85 chances created per ninety minutes. It has been a huge fall in terms of his creativity and there is now talk that he could be dropped by Wenger ahead of upcoming fixtures.

It is difficult to pinpoint what has forced this change in Ozil, as there are a few different factors at play. Firstly, Arsene Wenger is preferring to use Alexis Sanchez as the central striker, rather than Olivier Giroud. The two players have different styles and that has forced a change in how the attack plays as a unit. It could be that Sanchez’s style makes it more difficult for Ozil to gain assists. Although that seems unlikely, as the Chilean’s movement is superb and that should bring out the best in the German international’s game.

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A much more likely reason for Ozil’s change in form is that he was initially fatigued from the European Championships and he then suffered a drop in confidence, which has prevented him from taking on the passes that he was consistently playing last season. The German was also focused on improving his form in-front of goal and that could be changing his approach in the final third.

The next few weeks will define Arsenal’s season, as they have a huge Champions League tie with Bayern Munich, a potential banana skin in the FA Cup against Sutton United and some important Premier League matches. If they go on a run of good results, they will maintain a good chance of having a good season. However, to do so, the Mesut Ozil problem will have to be resolved.

Featured image: All rights reserved by Stuart MacFarlane