Mesut Ozil was one of the best players on the pitch for Arsenal as they cruised to a 2-0 win against Manchester United, ending their winless streak at last.
Since the arrival of Mikel Arteta, Ozil has looked a transformed player and the midfielder seems to be getting back to his best. After the win, he took to Twitter to send a message across to his teammates and fans.
“From the team performance to the atmosphere … a great night at the Emirates. Happy New Year!!! 🙏🏼”
https://twitter.com/MesutOzil1088/status/1212507913010515968
Ozil was instrumental in helping Arteta to the first win of his managerial career as he hustled and harried the United team. It was a far cry from the way he played under Unai Emery who kept him out of the team for quite some time.
The German was able to showcase an added commitment to pressing along with his customary flicks and passing and there was one particular moment that stood out. Just prior to the second goal where he flicked the ball over Marcus Rashford and instinctively spread the ball wide for an oncoming Ainsley Maitland-Niles. That pass led to a corner which resulted in the second goal scored by defender Sokratis.
It was not only those related to Arsenal that noticed the change in Ozil’s game as former United center back Rio Ferdinand told BT Sport(via Metro) after the match:
“The pictures we saw there when the whistle went with Arteta going on to the pitch – I’ve not seen Ozil smile like that for about 18 months. That tells you a story, he’s enjoying going to training, he’s enjoying playing.”
As the club’s highest-paid player, there is a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of the German who is slowly returning to his old self. Ozil has time and again shown what he is capable of, but consistency was the only thing that was lacking so let’s hope he will find that aspect this time around.
For Arsenal to get back to the Champions League, players like Ozil need to play like this on a regular basis. And from what we have seen from the player and the team so far, Arteta might just be able to guide the club to that goal. Fans will be looking forward to the season with a renewed sense of hope now.
