Mesut Ozil sent clearest message yet over Arsenal future after Unai Emery omits him from squad for 'tactical reasons'
If there was any doubt remaining over Mesut Ozil’s standing at Unai Emery’s Arsenal, it evaporated as soon as the team-sheet showed that the German playmaker, the club’s highest earner, had not been deemed good enough to even make the substitutes’ bench on Wednesday night.
Against Arsenal’s fiercest rivals, and with a full squad of outfield stars all featuring, Ozil was left out for “tactical reasons”. His absence was nothing new, of course, but this was the first time there had been no mitigation. There was no illness to cite, no back spasm to blame. Emery simply decided he would rather have a pair of 19-year-olds, Joe Willock and Eddie Nketiah, as attacking options.
Was Ozil missed? It is doubly worrying for the German that the answer is probably no. Arsenal’s problems were largely elsewhere, most notably in front of the Spurs goal and in their own under-strength back line. They did not struggle to create chances, as Ozil has spent a career doing, rather they were unable to finish them.
Emery’s side struck a post either side of half-time, while Henrikh Mkhitaryan provided a painfully meek finish when he was clean through in the early stages.
It was clear that Arsenal missed the presence of Granit Xhaka in midfield. With a string of injuries, they once again fielded Xhaka at the back. He was exposed for both Spurs goals and without him in midfield there was less control against the scheming Harry Winks, Christian Eriksen and the brilliant Dele Alli, who ran the game, defended astutely and scored a wonderful goal.
It was of particular delight to the Spurs fans that Alli responded to being struck on the head with a plastic bottle by simply reminding the home supporters of the score.
It was in those frenetic moments, perhaps, that Arsenal could have benefited from Ozil’s patient approach. But it is clearer than ever that Emery does not see Ozil as capable of fitting in with his more aggressive, high-octane style.
Ozil was benched for the recent trip to Bournemouth because Emery wanted a team with “physicality and intensity”. If the Arsenal head coach does not think Ozil can withstand the heat of a trip to the Vitality Stadium, then why would he deem him capable of a north London derby?
This certainly was intense, and physical. Spurs deserved their victory, too. Not just because they were more clinical, but also because they were more organised, more in control of the chaos.
In Ozil’s absence, the spotlight turned to those who Emery had trusted in the creative positions. The inclusion of Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi was to be expected, but the selection of Aaron Ramsey only added another layer of complexity to the Ozil situation, which is fast-becoming a fully blown saga, if not a passable impression of a soap opera.
It is partly because of Ozil’s gargantuan salary, of course, that Ramsey is set to leave the club when his contract expires at the end of this season. With Arsenal’s wage bill so stretched, the club are unwilling to pay Ramsey the sort of money that he feels he deserves.
Because Ozil is in, then, Ramsey is heading out. But here we are, in a match against Arsenal’s biggest rivals, and it is Ramsey who starts in the central playmaking position and Ozil who sits in the stands.
The pressure was therefore on Mkhitaryan, Iwobi and Ramsey to provide the creativity. Ramsey was particularly busy in the first half, sending a searing shot wide, forcing a terrific save from Paulo Gazzaniga and setting up Mkhitaryan with a wonderful flick. They eventually ran out of ideas, though, and Mkhitaryan was removed at half-time. The truth was none of them could come close to Eriksen and, in particular, Alli. Whether Ozil was playing or not, that would not have changed.
