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How do you win a title with a centre-forward who is widely regarded as not world-class, a revolving door in midfield because of a perpetual vicious cycle of injuries and rehabilitation, a rookie full-back and a squad so shallow that every manager in the world can name the starting XI? You buy Mesut Ozil and let him get on with it; at least, that seems to be the Arsene Wenger approach. After accusations of ‘going missing in big games’ from sources like Hasan Salihamidzic and Jens Lehmann in 2014/15, the German has utterly refuted these claims in 2015/16, proving consistently effective regardless of the opposition before him. Ozil is the first player to record six assists in six consecutive EPL games within a single season, the first player to produce ten assists in eleven games at the beginning of an EPL season, and the fastest player in EPL history to reach 15 assists (16 apps). At the time of Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Manchester City, he had more assists than the entire Chelsea squad combined. I could go on, but instead I'm going explain 3 major keys to his game, and share Mesut Ozil's greatest assists.
So how is Ozil able to produce numbers like these?
#1. Movement
Ozil’s heat map against Manchester City shows how difficult he makes it for defenders to successfully mark him. Ozil’s assists are typically characterized by perfectly timed or weighted passes that don’t appear to be very technically demanding in themselves (it is relatively rare to see Ozil play a Xavi or Scholes-style pass that places a lot of pressure on the receiver’s technique), but the only reason they appear that way is because Ozil is so good at identifying space, which gives him the time to play a more attacking pass.
Photo: BBC
#2. Vision
Some players have incredible technique, like Cristiano Ronaldo. Some have jaw-dropping skill, like Neymar. But arguably the reason why many people think of Lionel Messi as the best player in the world is because he combines both of these attributes with something the other two lack by comparison: vision. Ozil is not a goalscorer by his own admission, but his vision is what sets him apart from most other players in the league, if not the world. Take the following situation: nine times out of ten, a player will shoot despite the unfavourable angle, a goalkeeper will save it, the attacking team will get a corner, and that corner will come to nothing.
Photo: @Niick254 | Twitter
It’s often only after Ozil’s played the pass that you can appreciate how good it is, and while a lot of that is to do with working hard on movement in training, Ozil’s ability to see where players will be, rather than where they actually are, is a key part of what makes him such an effective playmaker.
#3. Technique
We’ve dealt with the more prosaic elements of what makes a good playmaker, the kind of details that any coach will emphasise when discussing how to attack successfully. But what makes Ozil stand out among his peers, who all enjoy similar coaching time?
His technique is outstandingly good, and you might argue that it is the bedrock of his talent. Ozil’s close control and ability to put the ball exactly where he wants it to go allows him to receive passes in tight areas, to outwit defenders by playing passes with the inside of his foot, the outside, by chipping them – all skills that allow teammates to trust him with the ball and dare to make attacking runs, knowing that they won’t be exposed out of position because Ozil is so secure in possession. These clips from his time at Real Madrid show the variety of his passing, the ability to draw defenders to him and then take them out of the game by releasing a teammate.
And these clips from this season at Arsenal? These are just there to show that Mesut Ozil really can do almost anything with a football.
