‘Ghost’ Mesut Ozil is putting the frighteners on everyone… he looks like the man who can win Arsenal the Premier League title

Mesut Ozil made both goals as Arsenal beat Manchester City on Monday
The playmaker has steered the Gunners to second in the Premier League
His performances are winning games for this Arsenal side at the moment
Ozil tailed off badly after Christmas in his first season at the club

Published:
22:30 GMT, 22 December 2015

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Updated:
02:21 GMT, 23 December 2015

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Put simply, Mesut Ozil looks like the man who can win Arsenal the title. The German is a joy to watch at the moment — very few teams have managed to contain him, but it’s not as if he’s got blistering pace or incredible strength.

He has an ability to find space all over the field; he’s like a ghost.

But what impresses me most is his weight of passing — along with that of Manchester City’s David Silva, it’s the best I’ve seen in a long time.

Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne attempts to close down Mesut Ozil during Arsenal’s 2-1 win on Monday

Ozil tries to avoid a tackle from Manchester City’s Fabian Delph in his latest midfield masterclass

He almost always plays it along the ground — though he also has a nice clipped pass that he can land on a sixpence — and he has so much consideration for the player receiving the ball. He makes their mind up for them, whether they are going to run on to it or take a touch first.

He is winning games for Arsenal now, but it hasn’t always been like this.

He tailed off badly after Christmas in his first season at the club, and the fans’ opinion of him hit a low point when he missed a penalty against Bayern in February 2014.

Because of his lackadaisical style he was often misconstrued as uninterested. We have a real problem with this type of player in this country. We’re used to blood and thunder — people flying into tackles and making gut-busting runs.

It would have been hard for him to adapt to the Premier League — players like Silva and Philippe Coutinho all took a while to find their feet — and Arsenal fans have had to get used to him as much as he has had to get used to this league.

Ozil congratulates Olivier Giroud (right) after setting him up for Arsenal’s second goal against title rivals City

Mathieu Flamini, Laurent Koscielny and Ozil (left to right) celebrate their win against City in the dressing room

He missed a big chunk of last season with a knee injury, and when he came back he looked as if he had been put on a fitness regime. I think this has helped him no end.

Previously, he was knocked off the ball too easily. He would rarely win those 50-50 balls, but now he’s knocking players off the ball! You can imagine opponents, having realised he is the danger man, deciding they’re going to mark him tightly — but that’s a lot easier said than done at the moment. He makes everything look so easy.

This is a good lesson for managers, that players like Ozil need time to adapt. If you give it to them, the rewards can be massive.