Arsenal: Mesut Ozil Has Plenty To Prove Against Chelsea
Arsenal’s bonafide creative genius may be a midfield stallion, but against Chelsea, there is always room for improvement. There’s plenty still to prove.
Arsenal‘s recent history with Chelsea is littered with disappointment. The Blues have just had our number in recent match ups, although you could say that in the end, at least Arsene Wenger got the better of Jose Mourinho.
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Whatever the case, there may be one big reason why Arsenal can’t seem to overcome their London neighbors – Mesut Ozil.
The German maestro never has problems with anything. Ever. He is a bonafide champion whose calm spirit on the ball is frequently overlooked. But no matter how often he gets overlooked, there is no overlooking just how important he is to this Gunner’s attack.
That’s why it can be so hurtful when Ozil struggles against Chelsea.
He has faced them six times now and he has yet to tally a single goal or an assist in those six appearances. The fact that there is a team out there that Ozil cannot break down makes my legs feel weak and my head feel faint. It seems impossible. Ozil is capable of anything, right?
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I still believe that he is, but he has something to prove against Chelsea. Namely, he has to prove that there truly is nothing out there that he cannot do, which many believe. He has to prove that Chelsea doesn’t have some secret recipe to shutting him down. It’s the one team he can’t seem to debunk.
Naturally, this match-up is coming at a time where Arsenal’s play-making No. 10 could really use a pick-me-up anyway. Ozil is currently registering the lowest chances created per match in his career. That includes all the way back to his days at Werder Bremen. Of course, it’s early in the season, but it’s still no fun to see Ozil four matches in with no assists to his name.
It would be the perfect time to break open Chelsea. It’s the last door he hasn’t unlocked and if he can do it on Saturday and get his season back on track, there will be no more bad juju attached to any team and Arsenal will have their full-power Mesut Ozil back in business.
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That being said, N’Golo Kante will not make this easy. It all comes down to his ability to soak up whatever Ozil attempts to do. As for me, I’ll put my money on the German.
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