Mesut Ozil – the key to beating Manchester City tonight

Ever since moving from Real Madrid to Arsenal in 2013, Mesut Ozil has settled into the playmaker role for Arsenal. There was a shaky period last season where Ozil’s quality was questioned, but all doubts have been cleared by the German midfielder with his record breaking assists this season.

Ozil had scored 7 goals and made 14 assists in his debut season for Arsenal. He already has 13 assists in Premier League along this season. Arsene Wenger himself has praised Ozil’s improvement and has hailed his performance as ‘unbelievable’.

“Ozil is the main provider in our team and in the league,” said Wenger as reported at the club’s official website. “He has 13 assists in the league. Players who can make you score are very difficult to find and have something special on the vision front and on the technical quality.”

“That is what Mesut is about. But he is also about, and people forget this many times, in his way [he is] an exceptional fighter. He runs much more and covers the distances during the game. He has added runs into the box now. You watch how many times he’s in the box compared to what he did before. I think he has become an absolutely unbelievable player.”

Ozil is breaking records and rightly so. The 13 assists he has so far is what Steven Gerrard, Juan Mata and Dennis Bergkamp managed in the entire season. He is seven assists short of equalling Thierry Henry’s record of 20 assists and eight in order to have the record to his name. He is way ahead of his European compatriots with 65 chances created which is at least 6 more than any play in other domestic leagues around Europe.

His team-mate, Jack Wilshere also expressed his opinion to Arsenal’s official website, on the impact the German international has created. “I remember watching [the TV on] transfer deadline day and seeing that Arsenal were interested in Mesut Ozil, and you almost didn’t believe it. When he arrived the players were buzzing and the fans were buzzing and I think that gave us all a massive lift.”

“I watched him for a few years, he was another player who started off young and went to a big club like Real Madrid. I remember watching him a few times and thinking that this player really understands football. You can tell he really understands football and to play alongside him is something special.”

Ozil will start against City on Monday when Arsenal host them at the Emirates stadium to fight for the second place in the Premier League.