Arsenal’s record signing Mesut Ozil put in a lively performance against Middlesbrough.
Arsenal’s record signing Mesut Ozil produced a lively display as he helped put Championship leaders Middlesbrough to the sword in the FA Cup.
The German was in the sort of form which showed why Arsenal shelled out £42 million for him in 2013, as the Gunners won 2-0 to progress to the quarter-finals.
It was his 14th game of the season, but also his best in terms of creativity, keeping Boro’s defence stretched throughout the match.
Performance
| Match | Key Passes | Passing Accuracy | Touches | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesut Ozil | Arsenal v West Ham | 7 | 92% | 116 | 90 |
Ozil created more chances than any other Arsenal player during the game, with Alexis Sanchez closest with three. Just Cazorla bettered him in terms of number of touches, with 128.
The German also recorded two out of two shots on target, and completed three dribbles, the joint highest number with Sanchez.
Ozil v Ozil
| Match | Key Passes | Passing Accuracy | Touches | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesut Özil | Arsenal vs Galatasaray | 5 | 92% | 83 | 77 |
| Mesut Özil | Arsenal vs Leicester | 4 | 88% | 94 | 90 |
| Mesut Özil | Chelsea vs Arsenal | 3 | 82% | 80 | 90 |
| Mesut Özil | Leicester vs Arsenal | 3 | 91% | 106 | 90 |
The highest number of key passes Ozil had completed in a game this season was five, in a 4-1 Champions League win over Galatasaray. He could potentially have increased this had he completed 90 minutes.
Last season he did beat yesterday’s tally, in a 3-1 home win over West Ham in April when he created eight chances.
Ozil team comparison
| Match | Key Passes | Passing Accuracy | Touches | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santiago Cazorla | West Ham vs Arsenal | 8 | 83% | 75 | 90 |
| Alexis Sánchez | Arsenal vs Man Utd | 7 | 71% | 82 | 90 |
| Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | Arsenal vs Man Utd | 6 | 91% | 71 | 90 |
| Aaron Ramsey | Leicester vs Arsenal | 6 | 87% | 133 | 90 |
Ozil’s seven key passes has only been matched or bettered once by Arsenal’s players this season, with Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla the players to do so.
In those games they did so in less touches than Ozil, substantially so, but the German’s 116 touches compared to Cazorla’s 75 against West Ham also implies greater control and influence on the game, rather than being a negative. His passing accuracy of 92 per cent was also superior.
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