Dele Alli or Mezut Ozil: Who is more important to their respective side?

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Dele Alli and Mesut Ozil both enjoyed fantastic seasons at their clubs on either side of the North London divide, despite their different playstyles. Alli offers an explosive, physical and exuberant dimension to the Spurs frontline, while Ozil’s game is based on the German’s extreme technical ability, incisive passing and ability to split a defence with one or two touches. Both play vital roles in their respective teams – but one more than the other.

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Ozil’s assist tally totalled 19 in the 2015/16 season – one short of the Premier League record. Alli, on the other hand, managed just 9 – but crucially, every single one of Alli’s assists were for Harry Kane. Ozil’s guile helps him to unlock defences, which is vital in Arsenal’s possession-based build-up play, while Alli channels the play through to Kane, who is good enough to convert the chances.

Perhaps the biggest compliment that can be offered to Dele Alli is that the poor end of season form coincided with his suspension. Whilst it would be naive to attribute this entirely to his absence, it definitely played a key part – the lethargic performance at home to Southampton as not dissimilar to the situation away at Crystal Palace, where Alli scored the Spurs goal of the season which ultimately led to a 3-1 victory. Comparatively, Spurs conceded a poor goal and went on to lose the game.

Ozil, on the other hand, has been ever-present in the Arsenal lineup this season and often provides an incisive pass that creates a goalscoring opportunity. The German provides a spark that breaks down teams that look to set up defensively against Arsenal, and when Ozil plays well Arsenal win. At times, it’s a simple as that. Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are Arsenal’s matchwinners and give them an extra edge that their rivals at the top of the table are missing.

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In terms of relative importance to their teams, individual ability within a team is what separates good players from special players. Alli’s tenacity and explosive playstyle provide Spurs with something they don’t have anywhere else. In that sense, Alli is vital to the lineup – but within the system that Pochettino employs, where individual ability is sacrificed for a flowing, dynamic passing game, Alli is perhaps more replaceable than Ozil is for Arsenal. Whilst individual ability and a flowing, passing game are by no means mutually exclusive, Spurs have other players in the squad that can play a similar role – the intelligent Christian Eriksen offers a different playstyle in the number ten position, but ultimately provides a similar result, for example.

On the other hand, for Arsenal, Mesut Ozil’s immense passing ability is absolutely essential in their possession-based play. If a team is to be successful playing in a way that provides them with the majority of possession throughout a game – which was enough for Wenger, in a time where players were not as fit as they are today, to set up teams that would win games comfortably in the last 20 minutes of games as their opponents tired – then in the modern game, they have to provide a cutting edge throughout the game. Ozil does this consistently like no other player in the Premier League, and this is what ultimately makes him so vital to the Arsenal squad. Without him, they play a similar way, but it takes an exceptional performance from his replacement to compensate for his absence. Players like Santi Cazorla, who offer similar technical abilities, are able replacements yet remain a level behind Mesut Ozil. The German’s experience with Real Madrid and with Germany at the World Cup are reflected in his play, which is sublime, almost superhuman at times, and this extreme ability is what makes him irreplaceable.

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It’s important to conclude with stating that this isn’t a judgement of who is the better player. Both Alli and Ozil are fantastically gifted footballers, and both have provided numerous moments of magic over the course of the season. It’s difficult to make an accurate comparison, also – their different playstyles, combined with different teammates, make a direct comparison of ability almost impossible. However, in terms of who is more important to their team, it must be Mesut Ozil – Alli is easier to replace within the Spurs squad, due to their abundance of midfielders who offer a similar skill set – albeit without Alli’s tenacity or physical attributes. Ozil, on the other hand, is one of few truly world class players who simply can’t be replaced in any side – the kind of player that Dele Alli will be in the future.

Featured Image – All Rights Reserved by Steve Mcmetha.