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Earlier this week, Mesut Ozil provided Arsenal fans with some great news, as the German decided to put pen to paper and agree to stay at the club for another three years.
Since his arrival in 2012 he has divided opinion amongst Arsenal fans, as his languid style sometimes perceived to be lazy. However, one thing even his critics can agree upon is his immense quality. The German makes some extraordinary flicks look normal, and almost always executes the perfect final ball.
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Let us take a walk down memory lane and list Ozil’s five best performances in an Arsenal shirt:
#5 Arsenal vs Manchester United - 2015/16
It was a day where simply everything came off for Arsenal. Ozil was right at the heart of every free-flowing move, playing that important through ball or just simply finding space in between the midfield and the defence to help Santi Cazorla and the full backs make forward transitions with the ball.
The opening goal of the game from Alexis Sanchez was set up by none other than the German, as he, dealing with a rather poor Aaron Ramsey ball, wrapped his foot around it on his weaker right foot for Sanchez to flick it home at the near post.
Arsenal's day only got better when Ozil, who played through Theo Walcott, received the ball back just inside the box and calmly slotted the ball to the right of a stranded David De Gea. Watching it back, the goal personifies Ozil’s calmness. In that situation, many other players could have lashed at the effort or missed, but the German managed to perfectly place it in the corner to wrong footed the Spaniard guarding the United goal.
In the second half, the Gunners were looking to see the game out and there was less of an attacking threat from the home side. This meant Ozil was required to receive the ball over the top on occasions and hold it up and win fouls, which he did brilliantly.
It was a complete performance, one of his best in an Arsenal shirt.
#4 Everton vs Arsenal (2017/18)
Although most of his team-mates have been performing well this season, Ozil has been the standout player in the Arsenal side in almost every game.
In this match at Goodison Park, he was magnificent right from the first whistle. Just minutes in, Ozil, Ramsey, Sanchez and Alexandre Lacazette were combining effortlessly with some incredible link-up play between them. Ozil set up both Ramsey and Sanchez for two very good chances, but unfortunately, both failed to convert them to goals.
However, the second half proved more productive for Ozil, even though his play had already been quite spectacular in the first half.
To give Arsenal the lead in the 53rd minute, Ozil rose highest in the box to take a cross from Sanchez and nodded it past Pickford with a perfectly weighted header.
Then to put the game out of sight, it was he who set up Lacazette for his first Premier League away goal. Receiving the ball from Sanchez, he was free-running at the Everton defense. However, he still had to pick the right pass. After cutting it back for Lacazette for an easy finish, the German got yet another assist in the Premier League.
A lot of people have claimed Ozil doesn’t perform in big away games. This may not have been a difficult Everton side to face, but Arsenal needed a win to kick-start their season, and the German was on hand to make sure that they did.
#3 Sunderland vs Arsenal (2013/14)
Although this was only against Sunderland, it was Ozil’s debut in the Premier League.
The Arsenal fans who knew little about the German and were asking just one question: ‘is he that good?’
They got a resounding yes in response from his performance in the game.
Just 11 minutes into the game, he provided Olivier Giroud with an assist, illustrating to the Arsenal fans just how important he could become. Taking the ball in his stride as found space on the left, he took the ball down and over his head brilliantly, before feeding it to Giroud for a 1-0 lead. It was the perfect start to his Arsenal career.
Then, twice more in the first half, he fed to tremendous chances to Walcott, but the Englishman was unable to convert either one of them. It was just what Arsenal fans were dreaming of, the pace of Walcott in behind and Ozil slotting a perfectly weighted ball through.
But irrespective of the number of assists he got on the day, his play was sublime with it being his debut. He looked like he had played alongside Walcott, Giroud, Ramsey and Jack Wilshere for years as he interchanged with them. He looked world-class.
The Gunners fans knew they had an outstanding player to watch for in the seasons ahead.
#2 Arsenal vs Bayern Munich (2015/16)
In another memorable game at the Emirates for the Gunners, Ozil put in one of his best performances in every department in an Arsenal shirt.
Facing Bayern Munich managed by Pep Guardiola after losing their first two group games, this was a must-win game for Arsenal. Not only that, it was a game Arsenal needed Ozil to step up in. He did exactly that.
As expected, Bayern dominated possession on the day. However, when given the chance to break, Ozil was almost always at the heart of the counter-attack. Often, if he had no one to pass the ball to, he was able to draw a foul from the Bayern players, using his body for the same.
Furthermore, he played a key part not only in Arsenal's victory, but also in them keeping a clean sheet. He tracked back better than he had ever done before and worked hard in the Arsenal box.
But, it wasn’t just his defense that was good. His passing and dribbling, as always, remained second to none.
To cap off an excellent night for both him and his team-mates, it would be him who would score the second goal to put the game out of sight in stoppage time. Receiving the ball from Bellerin’s fast paced cross, he side foot volleyed over the line to make it 2-0 and earn his team a valuable win at the Emirates.
#1 Arsenal vs Chelsea: FA Cup Final (2017)
In last season’s FA Cup final, everybody had already written Arsenal off before the kick-off. Chelsea had the far stronger side and it seemed a foregone conclusion the Blues would seal the double with a win at Wembley.
However, Arsenal, and more importantly, Ozil, were having none of it. He had a point to prove in a huge game and give it back to his critics in style.
Although Ozil was unable to pick up a goal or an assist in the final, he was unlucky not to. Danny Welbeck hit the post with a header from one of his beautifully delivered corners, and Ozil, right at the end in stoppage time, hit the once again with a shot of his own.
He was constantly finding pockets of space and showcasing his ability to play perfectly weighted passes on the day. Additionally, the German was even making runs in behind himself as a third runner from midfield, showing the pace Arsenal fans have rarely got to see during his time in England.
Throughout the whole 90 minutes, Chelsea were just unable to handle him. They could not figure out how to stop him from picking the ball up from their midfield and defence. And even when they could get near him, he would just play a one-two or dribble past the defender with ease.
It was a final, and he barely put a foot wrong, showing just how important he is to the Arsenal side and that he doesn’t shy away in crucial games.
